


Always Watching

by AllTimePhan73



Category: jacksepticeye
Genre: CrankGameplays - Freeform, Markiplier - Freeform, Superheroes, Violence, jacksepticeye - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-06-08 09:25:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 29,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15240333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTimePhan73/pseuds/AllTimePhan73
Summary: Anti thrust out his arms, a wide grin spreading on his face. One hand was gripping a gun and the other was empty. "I've got a little game for you to play." He said, mouth open wide to reveal his sharp teeth. Jackieboy Man was going to argue, even if Anti had his best friends (and Markiplier) held captive.TW: VIOLENCE. A LOT OF IT.(This is mainly focused around Jackieboy Man and his adventures! Markiplier is featured but that's his superhero name and not YouTube channel name.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I just found out it's Jackieboy Man's birthday?? I thought it was a perfect day to post the first chapter of this book (even if I haven't finished editing it yet) so HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIEBOY MAN YAY!

Jackieboy Man was extremely well known by almost everyone. If you were in trouble, he would be the one you'd call because he always seemed to be around. His real identity was unknown apart from by those close to him and he wasn't close to many people. He was acquainted with many but he could count on one hand the ones who he referred to as friends.

Marvin was one of them. He was a magician who had a large amount of power. Sometimes he would join the hero on missions and help him beat the criminals that littered the streets. Marvin was a much bigger fan of performance, rather than being a hero so his day job was always being a magician on a large stage, showing avid fans what he could do.

Chase was another. He was a single dad who only got to see his kids at the weekend. Jackieboy Man met him because he had been the one to save Chase's life. The man had been on the verge of jumping off a bridge before Jackieboy Man had swooped in and talked him out of it. They felt some sort of connection and, from then on, just kept coincidentally running into each other in random places. Chase was often in a bad state of mind because he had experienced a terrible divorce and fell into a serious depression but he knew he could always call on Jackieboy Man to comfort him. An extra plus was that the hero was amazing with kids. He was basically a second dad to them.

Henrik was the third. He was a doctor; the one who always treated Jackieboy Man when he got hurt. Henrik had sworn to keep his identity a secret and he was always there to treat Jackieboy Man's wounds. Without him, Jackieboy Man would probably have already bled out.

Finally, there was Seán but he was better known as Jack. Jack was the one who had been there for him when he was learning to fight because he wanted to save people. He was the one who listened to Jackieboy Man cry when he was on the verge of giving up on his dream. He was also there when he had defeated his first villain. Jack insisted on throwing a party, even if only a handful of people came. Jackieboy Man would never forget what it felt like to dance and scream along to music, knowing he had saved someone's life during the day. Jack was probably the one Jackieboy Man was closest to out of all of his friends because they had known each other for so long and been through so much together.

Seeing so many distressed people was hard sometimes. Pretty much daily Jackieboy Man would have to see people scream and cry, whether simply in fear or because of the pain they were enduring. The sight never got an easier but it was always worth it when he saw the victim smile and heard them thank him.

Jackieboy Man didn't just do it for the praise and gratitude though. He did it because no one should ever have to suffer. He wanted to save lives because he knew what it would be like for the grieving families if no one had been there. That was why Jackieboy Man was anonymous. He didn't need constant love. He just needed to know himself that he had improved someone's life.

He was unlike other superheroes. He began as a normal human and worked for hours every day to build his strength and speed up to a level that was almost inhumane. It took blood, sweat and tears but it was all worth it once he won his first fight. People learnt of the name _Jackieboy Man_ and that just helped build his strength further. The better his reputation got and the more well known he became, the more power he obtained. There had even been one time when he had ran into a burning building and all the public were screaming at him like he was some sort of village idiot. The flames were roaring loudly around him but all he could focus on was the sound of the people outside. In the moment, Jackieboy Man had somehow managed to conjure water up from nowhere to put out (or at least weaken) the blaze. He prevented a handful of serious casualties... but never had he been able to recreate that moment. Henrik couldn't give a medical reason it gave him so much strength and Marvin didn't have a magical one either. So his ability to grow based on reputation remained a mystery, along with his identity.


	2. Chapter 2

Anti, an extremely well known villain, had an arm around someone’s body to stop him from escaping. His other arm was holding a knife that was right up against the victim’s throat. The victim’s mouth was open, as if he was trying to scream but nothing was coming out. The only sound around them was the howling wind that was making everyone’s hair flutter in all different directions. 

Jackieboy Man was a metre or so away from the pair. His suit was ripped in a few places, showing off the cuts he had received upon getting that close to his one true enemy. His breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his eyes refused to leave the demon. They were both waiting for someone to make the first move but neither seemed to make an effort.

“Come on!” Anti yelled, trying to get the hero to make some sort of move so he could slit the victim’s throat. Jackieboy Man’s trained eyes scanned the area for anything that could help him save the poor victim who was as white as a sheet at that point. “You want to save him, don’t you?” Jackieboy Man chose not to respond, slightly afraid he’d say something that would drive the weapon into the victim’s neck.

He waited. He let the demon obtain a false sense of security before diving forward as quick as lightning. His body became a blur as he shoved the victim to the side and tackled Anti to the ground. The demon groaned and glitched as he fell, a loud screech escaping his throat. The victim’s only sound was a squeak as he managed to get away to safety. Jackieboy Man had studied the enemy thoroughly every time they had come in contact with each other. He knew exactly what his go-to moves were and where his weak spots were located. He could do it. He could finally defeat the one demon that had been haunting him his entire career.

Anti’s hands balled into fists and he drove one right into Jackieboy Man’s chest. He cried out in surprise but the pain was nothing that he hadn’t experienced before. Jackieboy Man tried his best to pin the demon’s arms down but it was hard when Anti was constantly moving. “You won’t win.” Anti muttered, pulling his arms out of Jackieboy Man’s grip. His eyes moved to look to his side and Jackieboy Man followed his gaze. Anti’s knife was laying just a metre or so away.

Jackieboy Man let his guard down as he noticed it, giving Anti a chance to shove him off of him and roll to freedom. He grabbed for the knife and held it out towards Jackieboy Man. “Game over...” Anti grinned, showing off his overly sharp canine teeth which made it obvious he wasn’t human. “Oh wait, it has _only just begun_.”

“No!” Jackieboy Man yelled over the wind. He ran forward again to tackle the demon for a second time but Anti cackled before fading into nothing. Jackieboy Man halted in surprise, eyes wide as he searched for the demon. He even looked at the-person-who-had-been-the-victim but he just shook his head slowly. He held out his hands and moved them slowly, forming words in a language Jackieboy Man wasn’t too familiar with. “Is that... sign language?”

The-victim-whose-name-Jackieboy-Man-still-did-not-know nodded eagerly. 

“I’m sorry but I don’t know it too well. My knowledge stops at how to sign my own name.”

The victim frowned but held out his hand. Jackieboy Man furrowed his eyebrows before leaning forward and taking the hand. It was like ice. With no warning at all, the world around them began to spin violently. It lasted a millisecond or so but to Jackieboy Man it felt like hours. When it stopped, he felt like he was going to vomit and his head was pounding. The victim-who-was-no-longer-a-victim let out a dry chuckle before pointing forward at a small building. Jackieboy Man recognised it immediately to be his house.

Resisting the urge to turn and puke in the bushes, Jackieboy Man listened to the curiosity swirling around in his chest. “How did you know I lived here?” Of course the answer he received was nothing but silence. The victim raised a hand and knocked lightly on the door four times. After a couple of seconds, it was thrown open to reveal the pale face of Jackieboy Man’s best friend. Jackieboy Man was about to complain that he had a key and was perfectly capable of unlocking the door himself but Jack spoke up before he could.

“JJ and Jackie?” He questioned, voice filled with confusion. He stepped to the side as a silent invite to come inside the house. The pair complied, following Jack into his living room. The TV was blaring out Steven Universe before Jack turned it off with a pink blush on his cheeks. “I didn’t know you two knew each other?”

“We don’t...” Jackieboy Man said, furrowing his eyebrows and scratching the back of his neck. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

“Me and JJ have been friends since like... birth, dude. I’m sure I’ve mentioned him before.”

“I recognise the name...”

“You should!”

Jackieboy Man shrugged. The man, who he now knew was named JJ, started to rapidly move his hands as Jack’s eyes followed them. Jack responded with similar movements whilst Jackieboy Man just watched, perplexed. After a moment of silence that was extremely awkward for Jackieboy Man, Jack spoke up again. “Thank you for saving JJ... He and Anti are... close.”

“Close?!” Jackieboy Man jumped into a battle stance, ready to fight the silent man who was just staring at him with an amused expression on his face. Once he realised there was no real threat, he slowly sat back down.

“Anti and JJ used to be friends before he turned to crime. Then, one day, Anti turned all loony and now he’s off murdering people. He’s the reason JJ can’t speak.” Jackieboy Man’s eyebrows raised and he turned to JJ to see his expression connoted sadness. “Anti slit his throat and tried to kill him. I found him and called an ambulance but they couldn’t save his voice. The whole experience was really traumatic for him so I helped him get better and I taught him sign language. We just became friends from then onwards.” Jackieboy Man recalled Jack having a deaf cousin that he used to see often and that was how he came about learning the language.

“How come I haven’t met him before?”

“I don’t know. You’re always busy, I guess.”

“Well... okay.” Jackieboy Man got up onto his feet and stretched out his arms. “My mind has been messed up today... and that, along with travelling here, has made me feel like absolute shit so I’m going to go to bed.”

JJ confusedly got out his wrist watch and looked at the time. “But it’s only three in the afternoon?” Jack questioned for him.

“Time is a social construct!” Jackieboy Man yelled before disappearing off to his bedroom where he remained until dinnertime. 

-

Whilst Jackieboy Man was enjoying his well earned ‘beauty sleep’, JJ and Jack sat down to watch some more Steven Universe. Jackieboy Man hated the show so Jack rarely got the opportunity to enjoy it in the presence of another person.

JJ tapped Jack on the shoulder in the middle of the second episode. It made Jack jump slightly, eliciting a tiny giggle from the silent man. His hands then moved to form the question, ‘ _When do you need me to go?_ ’

Jack raised an eyebrow, signing back, ‘ _You can stay forever if you want._ ’

‘ _Are you serious?_ ’

‘ _Totally._ ’

‘ _Looks like I’m moving in then._ ’

Jack chuckled. ‘ _You actually could if you want. We’d need to ask Jackie first though._ ’

JJ’s eyes scanned Jack’s countenance for any signs that he was joking but found none. He looked completely serious. ‘ _Jack, I was joking..._ ’

“No, think about it! Living alone must be lonely...”

‘ _Well yeah... but I don’t want to intrude..._ ’

“You wouldn’t be intruding! It would be so awesome living with you!”

‘ _Jackie probably won’t want me to know his identity though..._ ’

“He won’t care.”

So, on nothing but an impulse, JJ became the third occupant of the household. It took a while for Jackieboy Man to warm to him but eventually he did and they became as close as they could possibly be.


	3. Chapter 3

Anti didn’t make an appearance for a while. The crime rate had also dropped substantially so the few weeks after JJ moved in had been quite calm for them all. JJ had had a mini fan girl moment when he found out the true identity of the hero which involved a lot of squeals and jumping up and down. JJ was like a little kid being told he could buy whatever he wanted from a sweet shop. It was adorable. It was obvious that JJ was a huge fan of Jackieboy Man and he admired him a lot. He was always smiling around the hero, as if he was constantly living a dream.

It humoured Jack the most because he had known JJ before he met Jackieboy Man and hadn’t realised the extent to which his ‘obsession’ reached. One day JJ had accidentally left his journal on the kitchen table so Jack peaked inside, purely to decipher who it belonged to. The random page he opened it to was dated back to January (9 months ago at the time... so before he met Jackieboy Man) and was filled with little doodles of the super hero, all in different poses. There was even a little one in the corner where Jackieboy Man had an arm wrapped around another man wearing a waistcoat, bow tie and a bowler hat. He was obviously meant to be JJ.

JJ had tapped his shoulder rather harshly, making him jolt around and drop the book in surprise. JJ’s hands signed fast and, along with the scowl on his face, it let Jack know he was angry. Furious may have been a more appropriate word. ‘ _Why have you got that?_ ’

Jack’s mouth fell open but he signed rather than speaking because he knew JJ preferred that (and he needed to try and calm the man down). ‘ _I just found it... is it yours?_ ’

‘ _No... I’ve never seen it before in my life._ ’ The pink tint covering JJ’s cheeks said otherwise.

‘ _That doesn’t explain the drawings of you and Jackie._ ’

‘ _Maybe he likes me._ ’

‘ _...dated back to January?_ ’ JJ’s eyes widened at that, aware he had been caught out. ‘ _Don’t worry. I think it’s cute. It’s like you love him or something._ ’ JJ’s face turned even redder but he didn’t deny it because he _did_ love Jackieboy Man. He didn’t want to date the guy but he loved and admired him almost like an older brother.

-

Anti decided to make a reappearance at the most awkward time. The trio had been out shopping when a cold wind had filled the air, making them all (and those around them) shiver. The breeze was gone within seconds and in its place was the demon, grinning with pride (leaning toward obnoxiously grinning) like the kid who had just won a trophy in a school talent show and rubbed it in everyone else’s faces. He, just like the public, did not know Jackieboy Man’s true identity so he had to change. His suit was underneath his clothes (with the exception of the gloves, cape and mask) but he couldn’t give himself away. He raced away from the demon and the crowd, hiding in an alley to fix his attire. He tore off his clothes, threw on his mask and gloves and then he was ready to go.

He was back on the street like lightning but somehow hadn’t been quick enough. A teenage girl was in the grip of the villain, screaming. No one had noticed Jackieboy Man yet so he was ready to dive forward but then a flash of blue obtained everyone’s attention. Another hero with a distinct, holographic _M_ embroidered on his cape was on top of the demon, holding him down. The girl had been freed and was watching the scene with a horrified look on her face.

 _M_ was obviously enjoying the attention because, rather than wearing an expression of concentration, he wore one of happiness. Jackieboy Man hid back in the alley as he watched the scene lay out in front of him. If anyone saw him, standing idle as another hero fought for him, he would probably be laughed at and called weak.

Anti shoved _M_ off of him before glitching and vanishing into thin air. _M_ looked lost, obviously unaware of the demon’s power. He glanced frantically in every direction but, of course, he didn’t find anything because the demon had transported himself. Jackieboy Man had seen that coming because he was the only person to have studied almost every one of the demon’s battles. Despite having lost, everyone cheered for _M_. Jackieboy Man suddenly felt tired and all he wanted was to go home. So he did.

When he got home, he headed straight upstairs and laid on his bed. Arms and legs spread out similarly to a starfish, he stared up at the ceiling as he wondered if a better hero had finally come around. After a few years of completely dominating the limelight, it might finally have been his time to retire.

-

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Jack yelled, eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed. Jackieboy Man blinked tiredly, a little unsure about what was going on. He had just been innocently sleeping and dreaming about fighting crime with his own fictional hero, Spiderman, when Jack’s yelling had woke him up.

“Thinking... what?” Jackieboy Man questioned, voice groggy since he was still half asleep.

“Leaving! You disappeared and we spent at least an hour looking for you. We were worried Anti had found you!”

“Oh... right. Sorry. Won’t happen again.” Jackieboy Man went to lay back down but JJ pulled him back up. Obviously forgetting Jackieboy Man was still clueless when it came to sign language, he started to angrily sign.

“Your phone was dead too,” Jack translated. “How did you expect us to know you went home?”

“No one needed me. _M_ saved the day.” Jackieboy Man’s voice was nothing but a mumble, reflecting how he wasn’t feeling the greatest. 

“ _M_? Oh! You mean Markiplier.”

“I guess... if that’s his name.”

“The hero who saved the girl?” Jackieboy Man nodded, making Jack snort. “You’re scared of being replaced, aren’t you? I hope you know, no one can ever replace the famous Jackieboy Man.”

“They could...”

“You’re the only person who knows how Anti works. You know his power better than your own and you will be the one to defeat him.”

“Markiplier’s better than me though. His speed and stamina was just impeccable. I’m a fucking- I don’t know... snail compared to him. I’m so bad at similes, go-“

JJ tapped Jackieboy Man and signed ‘ _It’s a metaphor._ ’ Jack repeated what he had signed for the sake of the hero.

“Fuck off. I can’t use English.” JJ couldn’t help the small giggle that slipped out.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day Jackieboy Man was back to his normal self. He found himself in the position of the superhero again, hands on hips as his cape and hair fluttered in the wind. A man was on top of another, hands balled into fists as they fought. Jackieboy Man raced forward with the speed he had worked so hard on, pulling the man off. He struggled, waving his arms around and managing to hit Jackieboy Man a couple of times. On the third hit, Jackieboy Man loosened his grip and allowed the man to escape. He slurred out a series of profanities directed towards the hero before aiming a punch right at Jackieboy Man’s face. 

It hurt but he had to ignore the pain. He had to keep his focus on his enemy. He had to keep his guard up and be ready for anything. He ducked as another punch was thrown before pushing the man against the wall. The police were right behind him so the enemy was handcuffed before he could do anymore damage.

“Thank you.” The man who had been in the fight grumbled. His hair was a mess and his eye was surrounded in a bruise.

“Are you alright?” Jackieboy Man asked with a kind smile.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Probably wouldn’t be if you hadn’t shown up...” Jackieboy Man didn’t say anything else as he held his hand out and helped the poor man up. 

\- 

Jackieboy Man was just out getting some milk since the household had run out when he bumped into someone else. His and the stranger’s reactions were fast as the milk fell from his hand. Both went to grab it but missed, touching hands instead. “I’m so sorry!” The stranger muttered, bending down and picking up the bottle.

Jackieboy Man just laughed to let him know he wasn’t angry. “It’s okay. It was partly my fault too.” Jackieboy Man got one last look into the man’s hazel eyes before he left. For some reason he felt like he recognised the eyes but he had no idea where from.

-

It was quite a rare occurrence for Marvin to join in on the missions but when he did, the only word to describe the battle was Awesome (with a capital A). His talent was far from Jackieboy Man’s in a way that would have made him serious competition for him had he also chosen a career in fighting crime.

The enemy was a tall female with her hair tied in a messy plait. It had once been neat, in conjunction with a pair of animal ears, but the wind had made it a complete mess and the cat ears had fallen off at some point. Her outfit was a black suit and a mask that covered her evil eyes. They were cheetah-like, similar to her impressive reflexes and the ears on her head. It was like she could predict Jackieboy Man’s every move. He had missed every single hit like some sort of amateur. Jackieboy Man was most certainly _not_ an amateur: each of his moves were perfectly calculated and he examined his enemies as if he’d have a test on them at a later date. So why was he so predictable all of a sudden?

Luckily Marvin was by his side. Jackieboy Man had completely let his guard down as he got lost in the world of thought which left him vulnerable and open. The Cheetah, as Marvin had appropriately named her, ran forward. Before she could reach the hero, Marvin yelled out a string of words in another language. The Cheetah froze completely, one foot still in the air since she had been in the middle of a sprint. Jackieboy Man blinked, as if he had only just realised the villain was a threat.

“You could do that the whole time?!” Jackieboy Man shouted, the sweat clearly visible on his forehead.

“I didn’t think it would actually work.” Marvin let out a laugh and stared down at his hands, countenance full of clear disbelief.

The police showed up right on cue, grabbing onto the enemy’s stiff arms. Marvin muttered the perfect reverse of his original spell and The Cheetah unfroze. She hissed at the pair of heroes before being guided away in handcuffs.

“I’d probably be badly injured if it wasn’t for you...” Jackieboy Man sounded so dejected. His confidence was just plummeting as each day passed because literally everyone was better than him. Stronger. Faster. More aware.

“That’s not true. You’d have smashed her skull in, dude.” Jackieboy Man just sighed: no one could convince him otherwise.

-

“What’s up, dudes!” Chase yelled to make his presence known. High pitched giggles were heard from behind him because he had brought his children over. Jackieboy Man wrapped his arms around the smallest (a seven-year-old girl), picked her up and spun her around. The teenage boy simple smiled as a greeting.

“How are you, Ty?” Jack spoke up whilst the hero directed his attention towards Lily.

“Good. Mum’s being a bitch though. She banned me from using Nerf guns in the house like what the fuck?” Chase had definitely passed on the gene for unnecessary swearing but, in that household, no one really cared all that much.

Tyler had a skateboard tucked underneath his arm which he placed by the door. He was wearing a snapback that was similar to his father’s, especially in terms of the skull on it. He had a long fringe that covered almost all of his left eye, being the exact definition of ‘angsty teen’. His sister, however, was a bundle of energy that loved her mother. Of course Lily loved Chase too, just nowhere near as much. She had long brown hair and looked like a mini version of Stacy, her mother. She was very much a girly girl, especially since she was in love with a certain pink tutu her mum had given to her on her birthday.

“When you’re with me you can use Nerf guns whenever you want. If anything, I’ll ban you from not having a Nerf gun.” Chase grinned, holding out a clenched fist. Tyler smiled a little and fist bumped his dad.

“Nerf guns are stupid!” Lily yelled, sticking out her tongue and pulling a weird face. Tyler just rolled his eyes.

“Lily, they are not stupid. Your mum is the one who’s-“

“Alright! We should probably get going.” Jackieboy Man spoke up before Chase could say something bad about Lily’s beloved mother.

-

Lily was running as fast as she could down the beach, hands gripping Tyler’s favourite Nerf gun. Tyler was grumbling as he chased his younger sibling whilst the ‘adults’ were just watching and laughing at the pair. A lot of people (as in half the beach) were staring at them like they were insane.

“Give it back!” Tyler yelled, bare feet hitting the sand rhythmically. Lily was having another fit of giggles which meant she had to stop to catch her breath. Tyler took that as an opportunity to push her to the ground and grab the gun. “You little shi-“

“Don’t swear at your sister, dude. She’s too young to know those words.” Chase actually sounded like a real father, scolding his son. He was so proud of himself that he grinned and turned to his three friends. “I sound like a dad!”

“Well... duh?” Tyler scratched the back of his neck. “You are my dad so it only makes-“

“I sound like a dad!”

“Dad, stop. You’re embarra-“

“I sound like a dad...” Chase mumbled one last time before hugging the boy he could proudly call his son. “I love you, Tyler.”

“I love you too, dad but please stop. People are staring...” Tyler backed out of the hug, cheeks slightly red. Chase found his embarrassment hilarious. So did the others.

-

They had all just sat down with ice creams when Tyler noticed another boy around his age. The boy was on his own, a notebook on his lap as he stared out into the sea. His hair was dyed a dark blue and his fringe was flowing in the wind, making him look like some dreamy model. He was wearing ripped jeans and a shirt with Pikachu on it. Tyler didn’t know many people who liked the video game but it was (and had always been) his favourite. 

“Why are you staring at that poor boy?” Chase yelled so loudly that the boy heard and turned to see the pair staring right at him.

“Dad!” Tyler muttered before getting onto his feet and approaching the boy. He was not going to let a potential model think he was a creepy stalker. “I’m sorry for him...” Tyler refused to meet the stranger’s gaze, a little worried he’d melt based on their beauty. (Tyler was ‘straight’ by the way.)

“It’s okay? Why _were_ you staring anyway?” Tyler’s face turned a bright red colour but the stranger just laughed and allowed him to stay silent. “I’m Connor.”

“Tyler.”

“Are you here on holiday or do you live around here?”

“From around here, you?” Tyler was trying his best to ‘play it cool’ so he sat down next to Connor and tried not to smile too much.

“Same.”

“Tyler!” Chase shouted and all Tyler wanted to do in that moment was get swallowed up by a hole in the ground. “We’re about to go so you might want to wrap things up with your new friend.”

“Your dad’s cool,” Connor chuckled. “Mine sucks. He wants me to play football and shit but all I want to do is play music.”

“That sucks, man. Mine’s super embarrassing though.”

“Aren’t all dads?”

“I guess... I should probably go then...” Tyler stood up and turned to leave but Connor called him back. As quickly as he could, the boy opened his notebook and tore out a page. When he handed it to Tyler it had a mobile number on it.

Tyler ran back to his group, his heart beating fast. _Yep, he was definitely straight_.


	5. Chapter 5

Tyler sat on his bed, back against the headboard and knees against his chest. He was holding his phone in his hands, his messaging app open on Connor’s number. He had typed out different messages a million times before settling on one but he couldn’t bring himself to send it. He didn’t want to seem too over the top. He wanted to be friends with Connor and he didn’t want to mess it up. He wasn’t crushing on the boy; he was just afraid to mess up his chance to make a new friend. Obviously.

_Hi, Connor. It’s Tyler. I met you at the beach and you gave me your number :)_

“Fuck it.” Tyler mumbled before pressing send and immediately shutting off his phone. He had no idea why his heart was beating so fast because all he wanted was to make a new friend. It didn’t matter to him that he was cute and extremely attractive. 

His phone lit back up almost immediately. His stomach was doing mini back flips as he reached out and picked the device back up. A smile broke out onto his face as he read the message.

_I know who you are dumbass. I only know one Tyler :P_

They then proceeded to talk until Tyler fell asleep, his phone at his side and a smile plastered on his face. The only problem with that was that he woke up and his phone was on a mere 1%. Staying up and talking to Connor was worth it though.

-

Apparently Jackieboy Man couldn’t take a day off to spend time with those close to him. In the twenty four hours he had spent relaxing Anti had attacked again. He attacked at a school as children were just leaving so it was absolute chaos. Young children were screaming and had no idea what was happening or how much danger they were really in. Parents were clutching their children and hurrying them away from the scene, panicked expressions on their faces.

Then Markiplier saved the day. Of course he did. He was quick, his body a blur as he ran towards the demon who was holding a child against the wall. The child couldn’t have been any older than ten-years-old and she had tears streaming down her pale face. Her hair that had once been in a perfect plait was a mess and she was screaming for her mum. It was absolutely shocking that Anti could laugh at that. He was taunting her and cackling at her fearful reactions like it was all some sort of game to him. Markiplier grabbed the child by her arm and quickly pulled her away from the demon, eliciting a glitchy growl from him. If Markiplier had been just a millisecond or so slower, Anti would have been able to react and strengthen his grip on the victim.

“You have a death wish.” Anti yelled, voice wavering in pitch. He lunged towards Markiplier and pinned him up against the brick wall. He yelped slightly as his back hit the hard material but it wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to. Markiplier clenched a fist and drove it into Anti’s gut, making him stumble backwards. He grinned to show off his sharp teeth before pulling out the knife he always seemed to have on his person. It was almost like he was conjuring it up from nowhere as it only seemed to appear at the most convenient of times. 

“I’m going to catch you, Anti...” He muttered underneath his breath before ducking as Anti thrust his arm forward. The knife hit the wall and, if Markiplier had been any slower, it would have hit his head. He ducked again but Anti had predicted that action and drove the knife into Markiplier’s shoulder. He cried out in pain before shoving Anti backwards as hard as he could. Anti stumbled backwards, eyes squinted as he planned his next attack.

All of the children around them had long since fled to safety, probably in some classroom with adults who could calm them down or maybe even to their parents. Anti smirked as he saw Markiplier wince. He watched as the blood seeped out of his wound, licking his lips. 

“You won’t get away with this...”

“Watch me.” Anti then did his usual trick and disappeared. Markiplier was breathing heavily as he scanned the environment around him. A couple of adults remained and, once they had figured out it was safe, they had approached the hero who was still bleeding profusely. They tried to get him to go to a doctor but he refused, favouring his secret identity over his life. 

The cut wasn’t even that bad. He had had worse.

-

Jackieboy Man felt weak. He was probably coming down with the flu but what worried the others was that he didn’t display any symptoms of the illness other than fatigue. Henrik tried to examine him but found no signs of a virus and ended up concluding he was just exhausted and needed to rest. The doctor commanded him to stay away from crime for a few days and to get as much sleep as possible to build up his body’s energy again.

So he did. He curled up in bed on a Monday evening and slept through the entirety of Tuesday. When he woke up, however, he did not feel any better. He just felt worse.

He was pretty much bed-ridden at that point so his only means of entertainment was the television. He found himself watching the news to reassure himself the city would do just fine without their local hero.

“-They are all safe but it was a traumatising incident for everyone involved. The school remains closed for a few days until the police have inspected the scene and talked to all of the witnesses.” A woman spoke, her tone serious and her lips a thin straight line. Jackieboy Man leaned a little closer to the screen to make sure he heard every word. “There would have been a lot more casualties if the newest hero around town hadn’t come to save the day. He goes by the name Markiplier and he is the true definition of a super hero. He was quick and managed to get the hostage back to safety without any serious harm. Jackieboy Man better watch out because it looks like he is on the verge of being replaced!”

Jackieboy Man’s mouth dropped open as he stared at the woman on the TV in shock. There was no way he could be replaced. He had been saving the city for years and almost everyone knew his name. He had worked so hard to get it that way and he wasn’t about to give it up to Markiplier.

Speak of the devil, the guy was now in the picture. His hair was a mess, sticking out in every direction. He also had a small rip in his suit where a cut was being shown. His forehead was shiny with sweat but he was grinning like he hadn’t just been working hard to fight evil. “It was horrifying. Anti had the kid up against the wall and I had to act fast. He managed to cut my shoulder but, other than that I’m okay. I was just worried about the kids involved, you know? It must be seriously traumatic for them. There’s no need to thank me though because this is my job now. Jackieboy Man wasn’t there and I was. I’m available and ready to fight crime at any moment. I will never let my defence down, unlike Jackie. Maybe it’s his time to retire.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Jackieboy Man muttered, folding his arms. He didn’t care that the man had just saved a bunch of children: he thought he was a jerk. He hated him. He wanted so badly to get out of bed and prove to the city that he could save people too but he was weak; getting weaker as the days passed.


	6. Chapter 6

A couple of days passed and Jackieboy Man’s health was deteriorating rapidly. By the end of the week, he could barely keep his eyes open and he couldn’t control when he fell asleep. Henrik couldn’t find anything wrong with him so Marvin thought he’d take the matters into his own hands.

It was a spell that was highly dangerous for the chanter. It could easily backfire and send all of the energy back into Marvin at such as fast pace that his body might have struggled to hold it but he had to try. He couldn’t bear to see his friend in such a weak state.

So, when Jackieboy Man was asleep, he placed his hands on his chest. He uttered the foreign words and scrunched his eyes shut, focusing all of his energy into the palm of his hands. He held back a groan as his body shook and power transferred into the hero. Jackieboy Man’s eyes snapped open and Marvin backed away, unsure of whether it worked.

“What did you do?” Jackieboy Man asked, his breathing heavy. He had a hand over his heart that was pounding fast inside his chest.

“I used a spell... to make you feel better. How are you feeling?”

“The most awake I’ve been in a long time.” Jackieboy Man grinned, standing up. His legs felt like jelly since he hadn’t used them in a while but eventually he managed to walk. The first thing he did was go downstairs to the kitchen and get some coffee.

Marvin watched as the hero filled up his cup and sat down at the kitchen table. “I think I know what’s wrong with you...” Marvin murmured, eyes focused on the table rather than his friend. “You’ve always gained power based on how much people know you, correct?”

“Yeah but I don’t see why that has anything to do-“

“People are starting to learn about Markiplier. They love him so maybe he’s draining all of the power from you. It would make sense, wouldn’t it? This all started when he came along.”

“That’s stupid.” Jackieboy Man took a sip of his coffee, almost immune to the burning sensation it caused.

“I don’t know, Jackie... It might be worth trying to build up your reputation and seeing what happens. My power won’t last for long and then you’ll end up bed-ridden again.”

-

Jackieboy Man’s eyelids were heavy but he had to stay alert. A villain was right in front of him, a knife in his hand. The knife already had traces of red on it from whoever his last victim had been and Jackieboy Man really didn’t want to be next. Jackieboy Man was exhausted. He couldn’t move quick enough and he couldn’t keep up with his enemy’s moves.

He was slow. Weak. Tired.

He was too exhausted to push the enemy off of him when he tackled him to the ground; instead, he let his eyes fall shut. He was going to die, wasn’t he?

-

Tyler was straight. He was actually straight... but why was he sitting, lip locked with another boy if he was _straight_? He didn’t even push him away. Instead, he thread his hand into the boy’s blue hair whilst Connor’s hands roamed his chest underneath his shirt. They pulled apart and stared into each other’s eyes, breathless.

“Shit...” Tyler mumbled, realising what had happened. “I need to go.” He then scrambled to pick up his bag and fled. He was _not_ gay and there was no chance he was going to let the kissing escalate. 

As much as he wanted it to.  
-

Jackieboy Man’s eyes slowly opened to reveal a blurry, bright light. He blinked a couple of times and let his eyes adjust until he could see almost clearly. He sat up and scanned his surroundings to see a doctor and... _Markiplier_? Jackieboy Man immediately panicked about his identity, his breathing heavy.

“I shouldn’t be here!” He yelled, trying to get out of bed before he realised he had a sharp pain in his chest. He screamed, hand flying to the area to find he was wrapped in a white bandage.

“Calm down: it’s okay.”

“You can’t know who I am...” He whispered, excruciating pain flooding his body.

“Would you rather we had left you there to die? Mark saved your life. We won’t tell anyone about your real identity.”

“To prove it,” Markiplier pulled off his mask to reveal the face of the guy Jackieboy Man had bumped into in the supermarket. _He knew he recognised the eyes!_ “My name is Mark Fischbach. Now we’re even and you know my secret identity.”

“When can I go home?”

-

Tyler was crying so much that he couldn’t see. His arms were wrapped loosely around his knees that he had long since pulled against his chest. He had been in that position for a while and would have stayed in it had his sister not barged in his room unannounced. “Tyty, mummy says you need to come to-“ She had started in her high-pitched, bratty voice.

“Get out.” Tyler mumbled, hiding his face so it wasn’t too obvious he had just spent an hour or so sobbing to himself.

“But mum-“

“Get the fuck out of my room!” He screamed, more tears pouring down his cheeks. Lily stomped her feet and headed downstairs to rat to their mum about Tyler swearing at her.

As expected, not long later, his mum was yelling up the stairs for him. He grumbled to himself before standing up, rubbing his eyes and heading towards his mum’s raised voice. His mum glared at him before he could even open his mouth to defend himself. “I told you not to swear in front of Lily! She’s seven years old!”

“She came into my room without knocking...”

“That doesn’t give you a reason to swear! It’s that dad of yours, isn’t it? He’s such a bad influence on you... maybe I should stop you from seeing him!”

“Mum, you can’t do that! Dad is-“

“A pathetic excuse for a father. That’s what he is. Just wait until Craig gets home. We’ll discuss this and see what he thinks about letting you see him this weekend.”

“Mum-“

“Shut up. Just... go to your room and we’ll talk about this later.”

“I’m sixteen years old. You can’t stop me from seeing him.”

“Watch me.”

Tyler let out a frustrated groan and ran back to his room, slamming the door so loud that it echoed around the house.

-

“Rest for a week or so. You were extremely lucky he missed all of your vital organs or you could be dead right now. Your body just needs time to recharge before you start fighting crime again.” The doctor said, making Jackieboy Man nod in understanding.

“You don’t need to worry though. I’ll take care of the crime for you.” Markiplier grinned, showing off his perfectly white teeth. Everything about that man had to one up Jackieboy Man, didn’t it? Even his teeth.

“Of course you would...”

“You sound sad about that.”

“It’s nothing. Can I go now?” The doctor nodded so Jackieboy Man headed up to the front door of his house. He waved to the pair before entering and walking straight into JJ.

JJ’s eyes widened and his hands slowly moved to sign, ‘ _Jack._ ’ Although Jackieboy Man wasn’t fluent in the language, he knew the basic alphabet because Jack had taught him. Jackieboy Man furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before assuming he wanted him to get the man. 

“Jack!” He yelled for the silent man. It was a moment before Jack came running downstairs, his eyes wide as if he had seen a ghost. 

“Where the hell have you been?” He yelled, embracing the hero in a long hug without noticing how Jackieboy Man winced at the pressure. Jackieboy Man opened his mouth to speak but Jack spoke up before he could. “All we saw on the news was your fight with the villain and then Mark whisking you away to fairyland or something.”

“He saved my life...” Jackieboy Man sounded just as shocked as Jack and JJ looked and felt. He may have thought Markiplier was a cocky, overly perfect person but he couldn’t help but feel grateful Markiplier had saved his life and not left him to die.

“Where have you been?!”

“I don’t know... he told me his secret identity too...”

“Shit. At least you know he knows not to piss you off now!”

“He knows who I am too.”

“I swear you hated him?”

“I do...”


	7. Chapter 7

“Tyler, I discussed this with your father and-“ Stacy started but Tyler just rolled his eyes and cut her off with venom in his voice.

“He is not my dad. How many times do I have to remind you?”

“Don’t use that tone on me, mister. We are not going to let you see Chase again and I’m taking away your skateboard.”

“No, you can’t do that!” Stacy grinned wickedly, as if she was enjoying making her son suffer and become deprived of everything he loved. 

“That must be illegal or somethi-“

“This is for the best, Ty-“

“Fuck off.”

“Language! I’m your mother and I know what’s best for you.”

“No, you don’t! You’re just taking away everything I love! What’s next? You control who I am friends with?”

“Tyler...”

“I hate you!” Tyler was seeing fire. His hands clenched into fists and he was screaming the first words to come to his head. He wasn’t thinking straight as he yelled words full of spite and hatred into the face of the woman who had looked after him for the entirety of the sixteen years he had been alive. It wasn’t even directed towards his mother anymore. It was just at everything. He stormed upstairs and slammed his door again, tears streaming down his face. His hands shakily reached for his phone and he dialled the number of the first person he thought of. Connor.

Luckily, he picked up on the fourth ring, his voice peppy. “What’s up, Ty?”

“Can we go out somewhere? I don’t care where I just need to get out of my house.” He murmured, his voice trembling. He sniffed and slipped on his trainers that had been lying in the middle of his room. Stacy had told him to clean up and take them downstairs but, like most teenagers, ‘slob’ was an accurate word to describe him.

“Are you okay?”

“I’ll tell you later...”

“Okay, I’ll meet you at the beach where we first met. You know, outside the ice cream shop. Do you need me to stay on the phone?”

“Please... I don’t want to be alone.”

“Okay, okay. I’m leaving now.” There was a muffled yell which he assumed was Connor saying goodbye to his family. Tyler rubbed his eyes with one hand before heading downstairs as quietly as possible. He picked up his skateboard that was leaning against the wall by the door and dropped it on the ground outside. He was glad Stacy hadn’t taken it _yet_. There was no chance he’d let her. He was going to keep it with him at all times and protect it with his life (especially since it was a gift from his dad).

-

“She tried to take away everything. She won’t let me see my dad and- and she banned me from using Nerf guns and skateboards and I can’t take it anymore! It’s like she doesn’t care about my feelings or anything.” Tyler let out a loud sigh, burying his head into his hands as the tears just continued to fall. Connor moved closer to the other boy and wrapped an arm around his shaking frame as an attempt at comfort. He was slightly stiff with his movements, as if he wasn’t used to comforting people.

“I’m telling you now... I suck at comforting people. I never know what to say, you know? Just know all families argue and she is probably just thinking about your future. She might not understand how much you love your dad which might scare her. She’ll come around eventually.” Connor’s voice was so soft that Tyler wished he could wrap it around himself for relaxation.

“Everything just... sucks.”

“That’s being a teenager for you... it will get better though, I promise.” Tyler’s eyes dropped down to where Connor had attached their hands. The other boy’s hand was warm and sent a strange buzz of electricity up his arm. It was nice and it made Tyler crave more physical comfort. 

The sun was setting in front of them, filling the sky with different pinks, reds and oranges. It looked beautiful, especially when it reflected on the clear water. Tyler leant his head on Connor’s shoulder, watching the waves lull against the shore for a moment and listening to the sounds they made. It was all so calming and exactly what Tyler needed in his moment of distress. 

“Is there something else on your mind?”

Tyler lifted his head up and made eye contact with his friend for a moment. “Why?”

“I don’t know... I was just wondering.”

“Well... yeah but I don’t know if I can say it.”

“That’s okay. You don’t need to tell me anything. Just don’t bottle it up, okay?” Tyler nodded, moving his head so he was leaning on Connor’s shoulder again. He closed his eyes and just allowed himself to listen to his friend’s breathing and the waves crashing against the shore. Both sounds were extremely grounding and allowed him to focus on regulating his breathing.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while until Tyler suddenly blurt out, “I’m questioning my sexuality!”

Connor smiled, pushing Tyler up so they could meet eyes again. “We kissed so I had sort of already assumed...”

“Oh... I’d just... never had feelings for a boy before.”

“You have feelings for me?” Tyler’s face went bright red as he realised what he had admitted and he was about to try his best to take it back but Connor continued to speak. “I- I have feelings for you too.”

“You-“ Tyler started but he was cut off as Connor leant forward and attached their lips. Tyler could just forget everything as they shared a moment, so soft, delicate and filled with passion. All of the love Tyler sought at home didn’t matter because he got all the love he needed when he was with Connor. 

When they pulled apart, they pressed their foreheads together. Tyler’s face was shiny from all of the tears but he didn’t feel at all self conscious. All he was focusing on was the beautiful boy in front of him who miraculously liked him. Not once in his life had Tyler thought someone so perfect would return his feelings.

-

“Have you seen Tyler?!” Chase shouted through the phone, making Jackieboy Man hold the phone a bit further away from his ear for the sake of his eardrums.

“No-“ Jackieboy Man could barely get a word in because Chase was frantic and speaking so fast it was barely coherent. He had to concentrate in order to decipher the words coming out of the single father’s mouth.

“Stacy’s gone batshit. She just rung me up saying Tyler has left the house without telling her and it was all my fault. I was just like, _yeah sure I kidnapped him_ and she didn’t find it very funny.”

“Do you know where he could have gone?”

“No idea. We better send out a search party or something.”

“I’ll get Jack and JJ. We’ll all split up and look around.”

“Thanks, man. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding and he’s out with a mate or something but it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? And, knowing how much of a bitch Stacy can be, she could have said something that upset him. I don’t want him to feel the way I did when she-” Chase was tearing up a little and it was evident in the way his voice was trembling.

“Hey, Chase, don’t worry. I’m sure he’s okay.” 

“I really hope so. I love him a lot and I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him...”

“We’ll find him. Like you said, I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Do you want to get some ice cream?” Connor asked out of the blue, looking directly at the ice cream shop they were sitting outside of.

“I didn’t bring my wallet.” Tyler replied, slightly upset that he wouldn’t get any since something sweet and unhealthy was just what he needed at that moment.

“I’ll pay. You deserve it.” Connor smiled softly, making a blush spread across Tyler’s cheeks. They both headed inside the ice cream shop and walked up to the counter, staring at all of the different flavours of ice cream. Tyler ended up choosing chocolate and Connor got mint chocolate chip and they sat back down on the wall. One hand holding the ice cream and the other holding each other’s hand. They sat very close to the place where they had first met which made Tyler blush a little as soon as he noticed.

As the ice cream dripped down the side of the cone, Tyler licked it off with a tiny smile. Just an hour or so ago his mum had been yelling at him and taking away everything but none of that mattered as he shared a moment with his best friend. They hadn’t known each other long but they felt closer than ever and wondered how they had ever lived without the other. 

“Tyler?” A voice yelled, making Tyler jerk his hand out of Connor’s. His eyes widened and he turned around to see Jack wearing a very relieved expression. “What are you doing? We were all worried about you...”

“I’m sorry. I just couldn’t handle mum anymore.” He mumbled, biting off part of his cone, despite no longer having much of an appetite.

“What did she do?”

“She said I couldn’t see dad anymore and I wasn’t allowed my skateboard... I hate her so much.” Jack sighed but there wasn’t much he could say about it. He had no idea just how harsh Stacy was being on the poor teenager. He just assumed Tyler was being an angsty teenager, making a big deal out of a small argument. 

“Let’s get you home.” Tyler sent Connor one final sympathetic look (which he returned) before saying a goodbye and reluctantly heading back home with Jack.

-

“You’re safe!” Stacy exclaimed as Tyler walked in the door, skateboard under his arm. Stacy kissed his forehead and attempted to wrap her arms around the boy but he pushed her away with a look full of pure hatred. Instead of putting the board where he usually did by the door, he took it upstairs with him to ensure Stacy didn’t steal it. He shut himself in his room and collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t care that they had been worrying about him. All he cared about was how unfair and selfish his mum was being.

Thoughts were swirling around his brain about how much he hated Stacy but one other thing was in the back of his mind. He loved Connor.

He didn’t really know how to react to that. He had always considered himself straight but the feelings he had for the other boy went past friendly. It petrified him and was the last thing he needed after all the arguing with his mum.

-

“You again?!” Jackieboy Man muttered, subconsciously backing up. Markiplier was standing right in front of him, wearing informal attire and it seemed peculiar now that he knew he was in fact _the_ Markiplier and not some random stranger. “Why do I keep bumping into you everywhere?”

“It must be fate.” Markiplier grinned and Jackieboy Man almost felt guilty that he hated him because he was pretty sweet and that just added to the already miles long list of reasons why he was so perfect.

“...Right.” Jackieboy Man picked up some bread and put it into his basket. Markiplier did the same.

“Fought any cool people lately?”

“No... I’ve been too physically drained and I seem to remember the doctor telling me to rest.”

“I didn’t think you’d actually listen to him.” Markiplier laughed. Jackieboy Man definitely wouldn’t have listened to the advice unless he seriously needed to which he did. If he hadn’t taken the time to rest, he probably would have collapsed right in front of the feet of the first enemy he tried to fight. It would have just been plain stupid to try and fight in the state he had been in.

“I did because I care about my health... surprisingly enough.” Jackieboy Man sounded rather stern but Markiplier was too laid back to care. 

“Can I have your phone?”

“If you’re trying to mug me you shouldn’t ask.”

Markiplier chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Just give it to me.”

“Okay...” Jackieboy Man fished into his jacket pocket and pulled out the device.

“Unlock it.” 

“What-“

“Please.” Jackieboy Man obliged for some bizarre reason before handing Markiplier his phone and letting him type something in. “Call me!” He yelled before running down another aisle. Jackieboy Man just furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the spot where Markiplier had been standing in awe.

-

Jackieboy Man and his two friends Chase and Jack had been out shopping together when a very recognisable voice called for Jackieboy Man. Chase had been lagging behind the group so they hadn’t even noticed Anti grab him. “Follow me or he dies.” Anti simply muttered. He didn’t appear to have a weapon but, fearing for their friend’s life, they followed. Anti took them up the stairs of a set of flats, turning around every so often to check they were still behind him. They reached the roof after a few minutes and Anti let go of Chase. Not expecting to be freed, Chase fell to the ground, his knees getting scraped in the process. 

Moving like lightning, he was suddenly in front of Jack. He pushed him backwards so that he stumbled and fell off of the edge of the roof. His high-pitched scream filled the air but he managed to grab the ledge and cling to it. Jackieboy Man was about to run and help the man but Anti had predicted that. He managed to grab a hold of Chase again, holding him up so that his legs were dangling. His ripped jeans showed that both of his knees were grazed and were lightly bleeding. That time he had a surprise. It wasn’t a surprise in terms of a surprise party or a present wrapped in wrapping paper and topped with a bow. It was more like the surprise that someone you knew had fallen ill or the surprise when a significant other broke up with you. Anti’s surprise was a gun.

It was a simple pistol, small but lethal. It shined as if it was brand new and it was like ice when it was pressed against Chase’s head. Tears filled his eyes as he realised that any of his breaths could be his last and he may never see his children again.


	9. Chapter 9

“Connor,” Tyler felt slightly nauseous as he stared into his friend’s soft eyes. He connected their hands, trying his best to look as neutral as possible while his heart beat fast inside his chest. “I may not know what I identify as sexuality-wise but that doesn’t matter. What I do know is that I like you. Not just like but like _like_ , you know?” He swallowed, aware he couldn’t take it back. “Do you want to be my boyfriend?” The question was out there. He couldn’t take it back. It was that simple question that could start a wonderful relationship or break the friends apart. Words were extremely powerful in cases like that.

Connor’s cheeks turned pink and he opened his mouth but no sound escaped. He gave up on a verbal response and just leaned forward, hoping that actions really did speak louder than words. Their lips touched and they shared a gentle kiss. When they pulled back, both were smiling widely as their faces practically glowed.

“I’ll take that as a yes?” Tyler laughed, earning a timid nod from his _boyfriend_. “As much as I’d love to spend more time with you, mum needs me home.”

“Okay... text me?”

“Of course!” Tyler picked up his skateboard, dropped it flat on the ground and put one foot on it. Connor leant forward to kiss Tyler’s cheek before he skated away, feeling like he was on top of the world and nothing could bring him down.

-

Jackieboy Man was conflicted. Anti was right in front of him, holding a gun against his friend’s head. Chase had stopped crying a while ago, accepting his fate. Jack was also in high amounts of danger, hands desperately gripping the edge of the roof and slipping. It was extremely difficult to hold up his own weight so it was a matter of minutes (maybe even seconds) before he had to let go and accept what was going to happen to him. “Save one.” Anti yelled, voice doing its usual glitch-y thing. Jackieboy Man’s gaze kept frantically switching between the man he lived with and had known for a long time and the single father he had once had to talk out of suicide. “Don’t even think about hurting me or both will die.”

“Jackie!” Jack shouted, voice wavering. 

Chase still had remnants of tears streamed down his cheeks but when he spoke he sounded calm. “Save him.”

“No! I- I can’t!”

“Please... He has so much more to live for.” Anti cackled as Jackieboy Man approached the ledge, took Jack’s hands and hoisted him back up onto the roof. He was breathing heavily, a hand over his chest. Jack’s eyes were wide and glistening because he was unable to comprehend just what had happened. He had been so close to dying and it was frightening.

“You little shit!” Anti grumbled, catching the attention of Jack and Jackieboy Man. When they turned, they saw Anti’s gun on the ground and Chase reaching for it. Anti had fallen to the floor and was furiously glitching as he also reached for the gun. Chase got there first and held it out in Anti’s direction, his finger poised over the trigger. Just as he moved his finger, the demon vanished.

“Fuck!” Chase yelled, dropping his arm back to his side. His eyes were glaring at the spot where the enemy had been standing, as if his stare would summon him back. “I should have- have shot him!”

“You were amazing.” Jack mumbled. He hugged his friend as tightly as possible because he had almost lost him. If Chase hadn’t been so quick to think, he’d be lying on the floor, a bullet in his head.

“If- If I had been faster...”

“Don’t dwell on that, dude. We could have lost you if you hadn’t turned all ninja on us!” Jackieboy Man patted Chase on the back to further back up Jack’s comment.

“I almost died.”

“But you didn’t. You were so good!” Chase stared at the gun in his hand in shock: everything that had happened had only just kicked in.

“One day we’ll get that glitch bitch.” 

-

“That guy is a hazard, I swear.” Tyler heard Stacy mutter as he walked in the door. “Next he’ll get Tyler-“ She immediately paused when she noticed Tyler standing in the doorway, school bag slung over one shoulder. “Hey, Ty.”

“He’ll get Tyler what?” He asked, his voice a monotone. He had no idea who she was talking to and maybe he was jumping to conclusions by assuming it was a bad thing they were discussing him on the phone. Considering how Stacy had been treating him, he had every right to assume.

Stacy let out a long huff and hung up, placing her phone onto the kitchen table. She pulled out a chair and gestured for Tyler to take a seat. He did and she sat opposite him as if she was about to interrogate him. Tyler expected harsh words about how _it was none of his business_ but instead he got the opposite, along with a gentle hand on his knee. “I know you think I’m the bad guy here but I’m just prioritising your safety,” Tyler rolled his eyes because he had heard those words a million times. No matter how many times they were repeated, Tyler would never believe them. “Chase was involved in an... incident earlier.”

“What happened?” Tyler leaned forward in his chair, eyes wide with concern. “Is he okay?”

“Yes... just shaken up. Jackie got him in some trouble with a villain. That lot are so careless and irresponsible.”

“I want to talk to him.”

Stacy slowly shook her head. “This is for the best. He’s a danger to you and I want you to be safe, okay?”

“No. Not okay. He’s my dad-“

“Chase could have died and you could be next. Craig-“

“He is _not_ my dad!” Tyler angrily stormed upstairs and, as usual, he slammed his bedroom door. The boy was genuinely considering running away. His mum couldn’t stop him seeing his dad... there must have been some law against it. His eyes slowly diverted to his school backpack and he was ready to empty it out and fill it with his belongings but something stopped him.


	10. Chapter 10

“I don’t think I can defeat him on my own...” Jackieboy Man mumbled to JJ who was just patiently listening to him ramble about the mess of thoughts cooped up in his head. Jackieboy Man was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling through glistening eyes. His limbs were spread out in a star shape and he hadn’t moved since he had flopped into the position around half an hour ago.

JJ was holding a whiteboard so he could properly communicate with the hero. ‘ _Marvin?_ ’ He wrote, turning the board around for Jackieboy Man to read.

Jackieboy Man shrugged. “What if he gets hurt? I don’t mind putting my life in danger but a friend’s?” The room lapsed into silence for a moment until Jackieboy Man sat up, a light bulb lit on top of his head. “Markiplier.” JJ thought he was joking so let out a quiet laugh but Jackieboy Man was totally serious. “He’s strong and I have no emotional connection with him!”

-

Jackieboy Man had no idea why he felt so nervous. All he had to do is press the _call_ button, wait for Markiplier to pick up and then talk to him. It wasn’t exactly rocket science. His heart pounded just a little bit too fast as he pressed the button. The ringing seemed to last for hours. Obviously it was only around thirty seconds but it seemed like so much longer to the hero who was embarrassingly anxious.

“Hello?” Markiplier said, sounding slightly confused.  


Jackieboy Man cleared his throat to compose himself. “Hi, it’s Jackie. I’ve been thinking-”

“Oh, how dangerous.”

“Very funny but this is actually serious. I think we need to work together to defeat that glitch bitch.”

Markiplier let out a small laugh before repeating, “Glitch bitch?” in a very puzzled voice.

“Oh, right. That’s the name my friends gave him. Anti.”

“You don’t think I could take him on? I’m hurt.”

“You couldn’t and I can’t so we need to do this together. We can’t do this alone.”

“What’s your plan then, huh? Show up on the doorstep to his Bat Cave and just fuck him up?”

“I don’t actually know where he lives...”

“Okay, then, how do you plan on finding him? Waiting out in public until he inevitably robs someone-”

“Well-“

“-or until he holds someone at gunpoint?”

“I don’t know, okay? I just know it will take more than one person to take him down.”

“Call me when you’ve got a plan, Jackieboy Man,” Markiplier chuckled but it seemed more snarky than genuine. “That rhymes.” Then he was gone.

Jackieboy Man stared at the phone in his hand for a moment in disbelief. He hadn’t realised that Markiplier was so _rude_. Turns out not even he was perfect.

-

“Tyler,” Stacy’s voice was sharp, like a knife that was threatening to slit Tyler’s throat. He didn’t even look away from the game he was playing on the television because he had been giving her the silent treatment since she set down the ban from seeing his father. He was being stubborn and hoping he’d eventually convince her to let him have his own way. “Last night, I looked through your phone-“ 

“What the fuck, mum? Do I not have any privacy now?” He paused the game and finally turned to her. He was about to give him a piece of his mind about how he was his own person with his own life and he was almost seventeen but Stacy continued to speak in the same tone.

“Why were you telling Connor how much you missed and loved him?” The colour drained from Tyler’s face but he attempted to keep his lips in a straight line so that he could lie and have a higher chance of getting away with it.

“We were joking around, that’s all.” His voice was calm, contrasting with his pounding heart and trembling hands.

“Yeah? Didn’t seem like it to me. Do you have something to tell me?”

“I don’t. So if you could please leave and let me finish my-“

“Tyler.” Her voice had somehow got even angrier as she snatched the controller from Tyler’s hands. She spent a couple of minutes figuring out how to turn it off but eventually managed. Tyler would have laughed at her stupidity, had it not been for the seriousness of the situation.

“Mum, I was about to win!”

“Tell me the truth. Are you in a relationship with this... this boy?”

“Mum-“ Tyler was staring at his mum through wide, fear-filled eyes. She sounded so furious and it was petrifying him. He had no idea what his mum’s views on the LGBT community were and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to find out... especially since he was still questioning.

“Are you gay?”

“No! I-“

“Don’t lie to me.” Technically he wasn’t lying. He was definitely at least a little gay but he wasn’t sure of the exact label. If he ended up being pansexual or bisexual, he wouldn’t be fully gay and then he wouldn’t have been fully lying.

“I- I don’t know, okay?! I really like Connor and-“

“You’re just like your dad, you know?” Her voice had become a scary monotone. If anything, it was worse than the fury. Tyler opened his mouth to reply but she continued to speak. “You’re a nuisance and a waste of space. All the skateboarding and the Nerf guns are ridiculous... you’re sixteen years old for fucks sake. Grow up!” Tyler’s eyes widened at the profanity because he had never seen his mum swear before. She had always expressed the attitude that swearing was wrong. “He has done this to you, hasn’t he? I bet he put this in your head because he knew I hated it.”

“Mum, that doesn’t even make sense. Stop talking about dad like that too. He’s actually an amazing person and-“

“Get out.”

“What? But mum-“

“Go upstairs, get your stuff and go. I never want to see you again.” Both Tyler and his mum’s eyes were filling with tears but Stacy had made her mind up.

“You can’t do this...”

“I can. Get out of my house unless you want to change your ways.”

“I can’t change. This is who I am!”

Stacy shook her head so Tyler slowly made his way upstairs, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. He grabbed his phone and charger, shoving it into his school bag. He also shoved in necessities such as some random clothes and the hoodie Connor had given him. Then he sent his mum one last pleading look before only receiving a look full of disgust in return. “I can’t believe that man.” Stacy mumbled to herself before slamming the front door right in Tyler’s face.

As he stumbled out onto the streets, he started to sob. He didn’t care that people were staring at him because it didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

He didn’t know where to go so he just started walking. His dad entered his mind but, if he was involved in an ‘incident’ recently as Stacy had stated, he wouldn’t need the burden of his son on top of his shoulders too. He called Connor a few times but only received his voicemail so he wasn’t an option either. The last people he could think of was Jackieboy Man, Jack and JJ. He could only hope that they weren’t homophobic. If they were, he’d probably have to sleep in the streets and he wanted to avoid that.


	11. Chapter 11

JJ opened the door. He looked extremely puzzled for a moment as he stared at the son of his friend before stepping to the side and silently inviting him inside. Tyler hung his head low as he entered the house, just wanting to vent to someone. His bag was heavy on his shoulders so he jumped at the opportunity to drop it on the floor in their living room. Jackieboy Man was sitting on the sofa, watching some random TV show but he turned it off once he saw Tyler. “Are you okay?” He asked, despite the answer being obvious. Tyler’s eyes were rimmed with red and, although he hadn’t been crying for a while, remnants of tears still remained on his cheeks.

“I- I-“ Tyler started but it just set him off into another round of sobs. Jackieboy Man opened up his arms and let Tyler run into them, burying his head in the man’s shoulder. It took a while for Tyler to calm down his sobs and breathing but eventually he managed to. “Mum kicked me out.”

“Why would she do that?”

“She found something out about me...” He mumbled and Jackieboy Man raised an eyebrow to ask him to elaborate. Tyler went silent again as he mentally debated telling Jackieboy Man. He moved so that he was next to the hero and could lean his head on his shoulder. “I’m in a relationship... with a boy.”

“She kicked you out because of that?”

“And she said I was- was a waste of space. I suppose I am. I- I should go.” Tyler then stood up but Jackieboy Man grabbed his arm and pulled him back down into a sitting position.

“Stay. I’ll call your dad and I’m sure he’ll be happy for you to stay with him for a bit.”

“What if he hates me too? I don’t want to be homeless, Jackie!”

“You won’t be. He’s a supporter of the community, trust me.”

“Okay.”

“What Stacy said was wrong, alright? You are not a waste of space and it’s okay to be gay... or bisexual or whatever you identify as. She’s just a bitch and you shouldn’t listen to her.” Tyler numbly nodded as he watched Jackieboy Man pull out his phone.

Chase was over in about ten minutes. He had most likely gone over the speeding limit a few times but it was worth it if it meant he could get to his son who was in distress. He didn’t even knock, just bursting into the house and heading straight to Tyler. “What the fuck did Stacy do this time?” He was extremely defensive as he spoke because his children were his world and no one could hurt them. He’d take a bullet for them if he had to.

“She kicked him out.” Jackieboy Man spoke up for Tyler who was in too much of a state to reply himself. His entire body was trembling violently and he looked like he was going to vomit. He felt like he was going to vomit too. “Because she found something out about him and didn’t support it.”

“Bitch,” Chase muttered, holding out his arms so that he could embrace Tyler. “What did she find out?”

“In a...” Tyler couldn’t finish what he was saying because he had to push passed his dad into the bathroom. He then heaved a few times, emptying his stomach as more tears trailed down his cheeks. Chase bent down at his side, placing a gentle hand on his back.

“I’m not going to judge you, okay? I love you and I will always love you, no matter what.” His voice was so calm and soothing but nothing would be able to make Tyler feel better. He just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry until his body ran out of water and dehydrated.

“I’m in a relationship...” Tyler glanced back at Jackieboy Man who was standing in the doorway, smiling encouragingly at him. “With- With a boy.”

“Oh,” Chase’s face lit up as much as it could within the situation. “That’s great news! As long as he makes you happy I’m cool with it. If Stacy didn’t support you, it’s her loss. You’re an amazing person and I am proud to call you my son, dude.”

“Really? You don’t hate me?”

“Of course not! Have I ever told you I identify as bisexual too? That’s one of the many, many reasons Stacy kicked me out.”

“You’re-“

“Yep. I’m surprised you didn’t know. Jackie and I sort of had a bit of a fling back in-“

“Oh my God! Dad, that’s disgusting!” Tyler yelled, covering his ears with his hands. Chase and Jackieboy Man just laughed because Tyler seemed a bit more distracted.

Tyler ended up staying with his father and he loved it. Chase was extremely accepting of everything he wanted to do and even let him keep the one skateboard he had managed to hide from his mum, as well as letting him borrow his Nerf guns.

-

“No, no, it’s cool. My dad is really accepting and let me stay with him,” Chase pressed his ear against the door, secretly listening in on the conversation. He wasn’t at all like Stacy and doing it out of spite but he genuinely just wanted to check if his son was okay. He didn’t mean to be so clingy but, after everything Tyler had gone through, he was just wary about his emotional wellbeing. He knew what depression was like as he had experienced it firsthand. He wanted to ensure his son wasn’t secretly suffering. “I love him, yeah. My mum was just so horrible and he actually lets me do stuff I like... he’s the best dad I could ask for,” Chase found himself blushing slightly, smiling widely to himself. Never had he thought he, of all people in the universe, would be given a crown for ‘best dad ever’. He always thought he was a terrible excuse for a father but maybe Stacy had just brainwashed him and embedded the idea into his head. “I prefer it here. Even if I have to sleep on the sofa...” Tyler went silent, probably as he listened to the other person speak. “Okay, talk to you later. Love you... bye.”

Chase smiled. He was so happy that his son had found someone, even if he couldn’t.


	12. Chapter 12

Everything seemed okay for a while for everyone. Jackieboy Man had his full strength back and was fighting crime like normal; Chase was spending some quality time with his son and Jack and JJ were just doing their own things. They were all fairly happy until one day, Tyler woke up to a loud crash.

He glanced at the clock through the dimly lit room and saw that it was merely five in the morning. Chase didn’t get up until _at least_ ten every day so there was no chance it was him. Tyler got up onto his feet, making sure his phone was in his pocket, sneaking out of his room and closing the door as lightly as possible behind him. He kept his movements as quiet as he could as he headed towards the crashing noises. It lead him to Chase’s bedroom. 

He glanced in to see that Anti had an arm wrapped around Chase’s neck. Chase was bright red, as if his breathing was getting cut off by the demon. “Come with me and I won’t hurt the boy.” Anti muttered, smirking to show off his sharp canines. Tyler’s eyes widened as he watched, frozen into place. He wanted to run forward and help his dad but he was too afraid.

“Okay!” Chase choked out. Anti grinned, letting him go so that he could catch his breath. 

“That’s what I thought.” Anti grabbed Chase’s arm before using his power to make them both vanish. Tyler immediately ran into the room and yelled for his dad, helplessly searching everywhere for him. The room was completely trashed, Chase’s chair even flipped on the floor and a couple of his Nerf guns scattered around. His clothes had been pulled out of his draws and were pretty much covering the entire carpet.

“Dad...” Tyler mumbled one last time before taking out his phone with shaky hands. He called Jackieboy Man without even considering the time.

“It’s like four in the morning... what the-“ Jackieboy Man’s voice was slurred because the phone ringing had woke him up. He sounded genuinely irritated for having his ‘beauty sleep’ interrupted but Tyler’s frantic voice helped him wake up a bit more.

“Dad’s gone! IjustwokeupandheardanoiseandIthoughtsomeonebrokeinorsomething-“ He was speaking so fast that it was next to impossible for Jackieboy Man to keep up.

“Take a breath and slow down.” Tyler must have listened to him because he inhaled deeply before exhaling. When he spoke again, it was slow and noticeably more coherent.

“I just woke up and heard a noise... I thought someone broke in or something so I headed towards the noise and I saw Anti!”

“Shit... Did he-“

“He took dad!”

“Are you alone? Where are you?”

“Yeah... I’m in dad’s room... on the floor. I’m really scared, Jackie.”

“I’m going to come and pick you up.”

“But it’s five-“

“I can’t have you staying there on your own.” Tyler was secretly grateful that Jackieboy Man was coming to get him because he was terrified. He wasn’t just _sitting_ on the floor: he was hugging his knees against his chest and rocking back and forth. When Jackieboy Man found him, Tyler’s head jolted around with wide eyes, petrified that Anti had returned. Jackieboy Man bent down and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It’s okay...” He whispered, keeping his voice soft so he didn’t startle him.

“Where’d dad go?” Tyler murmured. Despite being sixteen years old, he looked like a little kid again. His usually soft eyes were full of terror and he was violently trembling.

“I don’t know but I’ll find him, okay?” Tyler was staring into space as he numbly nodded and took both of Jackieboy Man’s hands. The hero pulled him up and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to keep him steady. He guided him back to his car and sat him down. “You can stay with me for now.”

“Dad...”

“He’ll be okay.”

“Promise?” Jackieboy Man couldn’t promise because he knew what Anti was capable of so he remained silent as he got in the driver’s seat. Just a couple of weeks ago Anti had held a gun against Chase’s head and he seemed willing to pull the trigger. Tyler didn’t need to know that though.

-

Tyler didn’t like staying with Jackieboy Man. As much as he loved him, he missed his dad. Jackieboy Man was rarely ever around since he was constantly having to leave for missions; Jack was always recording videos and JJ was silent and Tyler didn’t know anything about sign language which made it harder to communicate. He spent most of his time on Jack’s PlayStation but it wasn’t as fun when he had to start his favourite games from the start. At home he had been so close to defeating the final colossus from Shadow of the Colossus but he was back to square one. Sure, Jack had completed the game a million times but it felt like cheating to go straight to the time trials.

Jackieboy Man’s sofa was uncomfortable too. It was fine to sit on but it was too small and Tyler was a lanky boy so his legs hung over the edge. He constantly tossed and turned in the night, trying to find a position that didn’t involve his knees digging into his chest.

It wasn’t like he would have been able to sleep much anyway. His dreams were haunted by the day he had watched his dad get taken away. He’d relive it over and over again until he gave up on trying to sleep and just quietly watched YouTube or played the PlayStation on mute (so it was silent other than his occasional grumbles). He went to school a zombie, thick bags under his eyes and body slouched lazily. He didn’t really have any friends to ask if he was okay either so no one found out about how poorly he had been sleeping or, if they had, they didn’t ask.

Jackieboy Man noticed his declining mood and energy and knew Chase would hate to see him in such a state. He was too preoccupied to check on the boy as crime rates had substantially increased, meaning more and more villains littered the streets. Anti was yet to make another appearance, probably watching Tyler suffer from the shadows, cackling about how it was his doing.

One day, Jackieboy Man received a call from Henrik out of the blue. He picked it up and blurted out a greeting but the only response he received was static. His thumb was just hovering over the _hang up_ button when he heard a familiar glitch-y voice say, “Six left.”

“Henrik?” He stupidly muttered, even though he knew it was Anti who had spoken. Jackieboy Man didn’t even bother to change into his suit before getting into his car and speeding over to the doctor’s house. The door was unlocked so he went straight in and called Henrik’s name. He searched every room and eventually reached his bedroom. It was the final room he checked but no one was there.

The room had been completely trashed, similar to Chase’s. There was even a splatter of blood on the carpet and, although he knew it was Henrik’s, he could only hope it was Anti’s. He stayed in the room for a moment, wishing he would be able to see his friend’s face and hear his German accent again.


	13. Chapter 13

“My dad has gone missing,” Tyler mumbled, biting his lip. Tears were welling up in his eyes but he had cried too much in the last week since it had happened. “Have you heard of a villain called Anti?”  


Connor’s face drained of colour and he looked down at his lap, slowly nodding. He seemed extremely uncomfortable at the mention of the villain’s name but Tyler barely noticed.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and heard a crash. I found Anti and watched him take dad away.” Connor’s hand found its way onto Tyler’s thigh and he gently rubbed it.

“I’m so sorry...” Connor mumbled, refusing to even glance up at his boyfriend.

“Not your fault.”

“But it is,” Connor put his head into his hands and made a noise that closely resembled crying. Tyler leaned closer to him and rubbed his back, puzzled as to why he was crying and saying it was _his_ fault. As Tyler got even closer, he realised the crying sounded suspiciously like _laughter_. Finally, Connor looked up to show that his eyes had turned completely black. Tyler stumbled backwards, eyes wide and hands held out in defence. Connor’s once blue mop of hair morphed into the colour green and he grew into the height of the average adult. “I’m sorry, Tyler.” He didn’t look apologetic at all. He was wearing a sadistic smile as if he was enjoying it.

“A-Anti?”

“Connor doesn’t exist; he never did. I created him to lure you in so you could lead me to Jackie.”

“Get away from me!”

“But don’t you love me? I thought you loved me...” Tyler screamed as Anti’s face momentarily became Connor’s again. He had no idea when he had started to cry but at some point he must have because his cheeks were drenched. Anti stepped forward and he almost looked sympathetic. _Almost_. “Come with me... I can make it stop.” Tyler was too numb to move so he didn’t even bother to try and fight as Anti laid a hand on his shoulder and transported them to his hideout.

-

“Tyler hasn’t come home yet...” Jackieboy Man murmured, not really talking to anyone in particular.

“He’s fine. Probably stayed- _ah! Shit!_ ” Jack yelled as he got killed in the middle of a game of Fortnite. He had been in the last five which was a rare occurrence for him. “He probably stayed over at Connor’s.”

“Wouldn’t he have thought to call?” As if on cue, Jackieboy Man’s phone began to ring. Tyler’s contact was displayed on the screen and an overwhelming sense of relief enveloped him. He picked it up and immediately began to ramble, “Thank fuck you called! I was getting worried after everything with your dad! Do you need me to pick you up?” He had talked so much that he hadn’t noticed the static coming from Tyler’s side.

“Five left.”

“Where have you got them? We’re going to find them and kill you, no matter what it takes. We’ll make it slow and painful too, especially if you hurt them!” Anti just cackled as a reply and then hung up. Jack was staring at him with wide eyes, shocked at his outburst since he had no idea what the context had been. “Anti got Tyler...”

“Shit... we need to stop him before he gets more people... I could be next... _you_ could be next. Fuck, this is bad!”

“I’ll call Mark. We need to come up with a plan.”

-

It was a few days before another person left. It was JJ. Anti had approached him whilst he was sleeping, a knife in his hand. He knew JJ hated knives, especially after what had happened with his voice. Anti couldn’t help but smile at the memory, even if it was sick. JJ’s eyes snapped open after Anti pressed the end of the blade into JJ’s pale neck. “I’d tell you to keep quiet but I don’t need to, do I?” Anti’s voice was full of venom; it was unrecognisable compared to who he had been before he started to become psychotic. JJ’s mouth opened as if he was trying to scream but no sound came out. That was extremely amusing to the demon.

“Come on, JJ. It’s time to go home.” JJ struggled but soon gave up when Anti pressed the knife into his neck even harder. Not enough to draw blood but pretty close. JJ then vanished along with the villain.  


Jackieboy Man woke up to a glitch-y message from JJ, simply saying ‘ _Four left._ ’ He yelled for both Jack and JJ, fear laced in his voice. Jack was quick to run to the room but JJ didn’t seem to make an appearance. At that point both Jack and Jackieboy Man ran into JJ’s room to find an unmade bed and, of course, a trashed room.

-

“This is important,” Jackieboy Man said, leaning across the table. Marvin was opposite him, absentmindedly moving his hands around and creating a series of sparkles in the air. Any other time Jackieboy Man would be cheering him on to do more tricks but at that time they needed to act a bit more serious. The magic and jokes could wait until their friends were all safe back in their homes. “We have come to the conclusion that we are the final four.” Jack nervously met eyes with the hero since he knew he was most likely going to be the next target, considering he was the weakest of the group. 

Markiplier chuckled from where he was sitting to the left of Marvin. “No shit, Sherlock. What do you want us to do now? Just wait around until we all get kidnapped and then game over?”

“I can’t come up with the plan on my own. I’m more of an act-on-impulse kind of guy. Long plans bore me.”

“Okay, great! We’ll wait for him to kill all of us and then you can act on impulse and get yourself killed too. Sounds like a plan to me!” Jackieboy Man rolled his eyes at the dramatic hero. He then hit his fist on the table to get the attention of the others. Jack jumped the most, eyes wide and full of terror as he stared at Jackieboy Man. He was on edge as soon as he realised he was probably next.

“Getting kidnapped doesn’t sound like the worst-“

Markiplier howled out a loud laugh, making it more exaggerated than it needed to be. “This guy! How the fuck did you survive fighting crime for so long?”

“Hear me out! If one of us gets kidnapped, we can ensure they have a phone on them or a wire... maybe a tracker! Then we’d be able to find where they are, hunt them down and attack.”

“That actually doesn’t sound too bad. I’m surprised since it came out of your stupid mouth.”

“Mark, stop acting like a five-year-old. People’s lives are at stake.”  


Markiplier opened his mouth to shout back another snarky comment but noticed Jackieboy Man was staring at Jack. Markiplier followed his gaze to see the Irishman seemed to be a lot paler than usual with a tinge of green covering his cheeks. “Jack? Are you-“ He was forced to cut himself off when Jack got up and bolted to the bathroom. 

Markiplier went to stand up and chase after him but Jackieboy Man held out a hand and halted him. “Leave him. He’ll be okay,” He looked sceptical but sat back down. “Can you get a hold of any trackers?”

Markiplier nodded but not without a gentle sigh. “I know a guy.”

“Perfect. We should all have them just in case.”

“Give me a few days. Ironically, it might be hard to track the guy down. Spends a lot of time travelling.”

“As long as you can get them.”

“I can.”

A yell was heard from the bathroom, making all three of the people in the room jump onto their feet. They shot to the bathroom to make sure their friend was okay but, when they opened the door, the first thing they saw was Anti with his arm around Jack’s neck. Jack somehow looked even more nauseous than before. “Three left.” He muttered before his head twitched to the side and he vanished, taking their friend with him.

“Get the trackers and quick.”


	14. Chapter 14

They arranged to meet every other day, to ensure that they were all still safe. Jackieboy Man and Marvin didn’t mind it since they saw each other often anyway but Markiplier made sure to complain a lot. The next time they met, Markiplier came empty handed when he was expected to bring the trackers.

“Where are they?” Jackieboy Man immediately asked, skipping the pointless greetings. There were things more important than being polite.

“Where are what?” Markiplier responded, trying to play innocent. Jackieboy Man glared at him, wishing that looks could kill. They didn’t have time to deal with Markiplier’s stubborn and annoying attitude. They needed the trackers as soon as they could get them.

“You know what.”

“They’re coming. I spoke to Rex yesterday.”

Jackieboy Man couldn’t help but snort at the stupid name. “Are you getting them from a dog or something?”

“No! That’s his code name. If I just started referring to him by his real name you’d be able to hand him over to the police. That guy does illegal shit like it’s perfectly legal.”

“And you know him because..?”

“Because we were old friends. That’s all you need to know. He said he could get them to me by tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow might be too late! We need them now!”

“I quote ‘ _this shit is precise and you can’t rush it. If you do, you’ll just fuck it up and get someone killed_ ’.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. He’s dodgy, man.” 

Jackieboy Man shook his head, barely believing he was actually talking to Markiplier, _the man who was trying to rid the world of evil_ , about his criminal friend.

Marvin, who had stayed silent throughout the whole interaction, spoke up, his mouth in a thin line. If the others could see his eyebrows underneath his mask, they’d see they were worriedly raised. “Who do you think will be next?”

“I don’t know. My bets-“

“Are you seriously placing a bet on this?” Jackieboy Man chipped in, obviously not understanding the figure of speech.

“Not literally, you idiot. What I was going to say was my bets are on you, Mr. Cat.”

Marvin pulled a disgusted face. “Don’t call me that. I am not a cat.”

Markiplier let out a loud laugh and Jackieboy Man stifled some giggles. “That rhymes, Mr. Cat.”

“Fuck off!”

“It’s cute!” Jackieboy Man chuckled, looking over at Markiplier who was nodding his head in agreement whilst still laughing.

“I am not cute!”

“Yes, you are. Just look at your little cat ears.” Markiplier leaned forward and jokingly stroked the ears of Marvin’s mask, making him scowl. “This is the definition of cute, dude.”

“I hate you two.” Marvin grumbled, folding his arms like a child in the middle of a tantrum.

“We love you too.” Jackieboy Man and Markiplier responded in unison. Teasing Marvin was probably the first thing they had bonded over since meeting each other as their personalities usually contrasted each other. Markiplier tended to be boisterous and obnoxious whilst Jackieboy Man tried to remain anonymous and was extremely selfless.

-

Jackieboy Man was driving when he received the dreaded call. He picked it up and put it on loudspeaker as soon as he reached a red light. The call was filled with a familiar static until he heard the glitch-y voice mutter, “Two left.” Jackieboy Man almost crashed the car as his eyes widened.

“Marvin...” He whispered to no one but himself. If Markiplier had been quicker at obtaining the wires, they’d be able to go and save his friends right at that moment... but Markiplier was too slow. They were unable to do anything but wait and watch their friends get taken away by an evil demon.

-

Two days had passed and Markiplier was back at Jackieboy Man’s house. Markiplier had two wires in his hands that Jackieboy Man could only assume were the trackers. He was handling them very carefully, as if they would break at any sudden movement. “It connects with an app on our phones, look.” Markiplier slid his phone across the table to show the other hero that his location was clearly indicated on the screen. Jackieboy Man nodded with a small smile filled with hope on his face. “Hand me your phone and I’ll sync it.” Jackieboy Man fished into his pockets and pulled out the device before handing it over to Markiplier. He pressed a couple of buttons and typed a few things in before handing it back. “All sorted.”

“This is perfect...” Jackieboy Man mumbled, fiddling with the wire. Markiplier nodded, grinning rather obnoxiously.

“Yep, you just put it underneath your shirt and you’re good to go.”

Jackieboy Man clipped the wire underneath his shirt and made sure it was secure before sending Markiplier a thumbs up. “So, who’s going to be the one that invades Anti’s place?”

“I don’t know. Both of us need to be ready. That’s why I brought these.” Markiplier reached into his backpack and pulled out a pair of pistols, perfectly identical. Jackieboy Man eyed them warily, biting his lip.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea...”

“Do you want to get your friends killed?”

“Well, no-“

“Exactly,” Markiplier pushed one gun towards Jackieboy Man and pocketed the other. “Keep them on you at all times. Even next to your bed whilst your asleep. You have no idea when Anti is going to attack.”

“Right...”

Markiplier stood up and threw his backpack over his shoulder. He sent Jackieboy Man a wide smile, showing off his perfect white teeth before saying, “If this is the last time I see you then good luck. I may act like I hate you most of the time but I know you can do this.”

“You too.” Jackieboy Man mumbled, fiddling with the gun in his hands. He really hoped that he wouldn’t have to resort to using it.

-

Anti disappeared completely for a couple of weeks but still Markiplier and Jackieboy Man continued to meet every other day. They were both on edge, constantly checking their phones to see if they had missed a call from the other. Jackieboy Man was losing a lot of sleep because his mind was always wondering when Anti’s next attack would take place. It could be any time. He needed to always be prepared for a fight.

He wondered how the others were doing. Chase had been gone the longest and the thought that he could be dead even passed his mind but he pushed it away and repressed it. He was trying his best to stay optimistic but it was hard when every single one of his friends had been kidnapped by some psychotic villain. He spent endless nights, curled up in bed, mumbling to himself, “It will be okay” over and over again like some sort of broken record. He probably appeared to be the psychotic one with how much he had started to talk to himself. He just liked hearing a voice, even if it was only his own, and he needed constant reassurance that there was actually a possibility that things would turn out okay.

He just wanted to convince himself... but no matter how many times he said the four words, he couldn’t do it. He was petrified and nothing could change that. He was meant to be Jackieboy Man, the brave hero, but he had been rendered a cowardly mess. 

Even fighting criminals during the day became hard. He managed to come away with barely any wounds but that seemed like a miracle since his mind was always elsewhere.

So, when he finally received the call, he panicked. “One left.” It was softer than usual. It was so calm that it made it all the more terrifying. 

He pressed his back against the wall, sliding down to the floor and pulling his knees against his chest. He buried his head into them, images of his friends being tortured running through his mind. He wasn’t sure if he could handle the burden of his friend’s lives on his shoulders.

But he had fought with the burden of the world on his shoulders before. A small group of people should seem like nothing to him. Even if they were his best friends. He took a deep breath to help calm himself down then shakily got back onto his feet. His legs were like jelly as he took a step forward and picked up his phone that he had just left on the table. He opened up the app and, sure enough, Markiplier’s location was right there on the screen.

He checked his belt to ensure his gun was still there but hidden by his shirt. It was. He then headed upstairs to change into his suit and he was ready to go.


	15. Chapter 15

Jackieboy Man found himself at a large warehouse. It looked abandoned, considering the windows were bordered up and the door had a rusty padlock on the front. He checked his phone one last time to find he was right on top of Markiplier. He headed around the back of the building to see if there was an open window or back door he could get into.

It was locked. Of course it was. He stepped backwards before barging his shoulder into the door and letting it fall down onto the floor with a loud crash. He winced at the noise but headed into the pitch black warehouse. He had a flashlight in his backpack so he pulled that out and flicked it on.

He screamed as the light revealed what was in front of him. A person. He scanned them with the light until he reached their face. It was Anti. Jackieboy Man stumbled backwards, desperately flashing his light around to see if he could find any of his friends. All he saw were walls. Jackieboy Man’s flashlight crashed to the ground and flickered out.

“I didn’t even need to come and get you...” Anti muttered, circling Jackieboy Man like he was his prey. He clicked his fingers and the warehouse lights turned on. 

“Where are they?!” Jackieboy Man demanded, hoping his fear wasn’t as apparent as he thought it was. His hand was at his waist, clasped around the handle of the gun and ready to pull it out when he needed it. He needed information before he killed the demon.

“They are here, don’t you worry,” Anti thrust out his arms, a wide grin spreading on his face. One hand was gripping a gun and the other was empty. “I’ve got a little game for you to play.” He said, mouth open wide to reveal his sharp teeth. Jackieboy Man was going to argue, even if Anti had his best friends (and Markiplier) held captive.

“I don’t have time for this. I want to see my friends!” Jackieboy Man pulled the gun out and pointed it right at Anti’s head. His finger was poised over the trigger, ready to press down if he needed to.

“You think you’re tough shit. You won’t actually pull the trigger because you don’t know where your friends are. I do and, if you want to know, then you need me alive.” Anti stepped forward and grabbed Jackieboy Man’s wrist. His arm was shaking as Anti pushed it down to his side. “Play along with the game or they all die.” Jackieboy Man struggled and eventually pulled himself out of Anti’s grip, hands back around the gun. He pulled the trigger without even thinking but he didn’t hear a scream; just a loud, familiar cackle. “It’s not that easy, Jackie.” The bullet had flown straight through Anti’s body.

“How the fuck?”

“I highly recommend you come and play the game.”

Jackieboy Man was dreading it but he had to play. He had to play for his friend’s sakes so he hung his head and whispered, “O-Okay.” He felt defeated, as his one weapon was proven utterly useless and there was clearly nothing else he could do. 

Anti’s face lit up and glitched, his smile creepily sadistic. “Wonderful. We better get on with it then, shouldn’t we?”

Anti unlocked a door by scanning his hand on some sort of device and then lead Jackieboy Man down a dilapidated staircase which looked like it could have collapsed at any moment. He was extremely wary about where he put his feet but Anti didn’t seem to care at all. He was flying down the stairs, mainly because he climbed up and down them multiple times a day. He knew the steady parts off by heart. Anti clicked his fingers as he touched the basement floor and the lights flickered on.

The room was dirty. Cobwebs filled all the corners and the paint was peeling almost everywhere. It was also extremely hot and the movement between the stairs and the room was similar to entering an oven. Jackieboy Man barely noticed that as he met the eyes of Chase. The others were there too, eyes rimmed red as if they had been crying. Chase had a black eye and Henrik had a long cut across his cheek whilst Tyler was sat in the corner, hugging his knees. “Jackie!” Jack was the one to yell and he ran forward to hug Jackieboy Man but Anti stood in his way.

“I think it’s time to start the game...” Anti grinned, pulling out a gun and holding it against his chest like it was his most prized possession. “Chase, would you stand over there and JJ, you go over there.”

“Why the fuck should I listen to you?!” Chase yelled but Anti gestured to the gun and he shut up again, heading over to the spot where he had been told to stand. JJ was silent as he walked, not even bothering to try and sign something to his friends.

“I like to call it...” Anti started to mumble to himself, scratching his neck as he tried to come up with another name. The others would have been laughing if the situation hadn’t been so serious. “Dangerous Death... Man, I suck at names... Okay! I give up. It doesn’t have a name. It’s simple really, you just need to choose which of your precious friends to kill. One survives; one dies. You decide their fate.”

“What?” Jackieboy Man furrowed his eyebrows, unsure if he was serious or not.

“So which one is it? JJ...” Anti pressed the cold gun into JJ’s temple, making him wince and look at Jackieboy Man with pleading eyes. “Or Chase...” He moved the gun so that it was pressing into Chase’s head. The man didn’t seem as bothered.

“Anti... you’re insane. You don’t need to kill anyone.”

“I know! It’s just fun, watching you suffer...” Anti grinned, actually enjoying it. “Choose one or both die.”

“You can’t make me choose!”

“Okay then, both it is.” 

Everything went in slow motion as Anti’s finger hovered over the trigger so Jackieboy Man yelled out, “Chase!”

Chase stared at him and opened his mouth to speak but Anti cut him off. “To die or to survive?”

Jackieboy Man took a deep breath and did his best to avoid Chase’s eyes. “...To die.”

Anti chuckled. “I get it because he’s suicidal anyway. Do him a favour.”

“No!” Jackieboy Man yelled as the sound of a gunshot filled the air. It echoed around the basement, bouncing off the walls and taunting those in the room over and over again. Chase’s body dropped to the floor and blood seeped out of the wound. There was so much red. Jackieboy Man backed up, mouth wide open as JJ stared at him like he was insane.

JJ spelt something out slowly, knowing Jackieboy Man wouldn’t understand unless he did it letter by letter, ‘ _W-h-y?_ ’ Jackieboy Man didn’t response as tears began to stream down his pale cheeks: he had just got one his best friends killed.

Anti was in hysterics, his cackle echoing around the room almost as much as the gun shot. “This is fun now, isn’t it?” No one was laughing. They were all sobbing with the exception of Tyler who was just staring at his dad in disbelief. “Tyler, come over here. You and...” Anti’s eyes scanned all of the victims, taking in their fear-filled eyes and feeding on it like it was a drug and he was craving a high. “How about Henrik?”

Once Henrik and Tyler were at the demon’s sides, Henrik spoke up, looking completely serious. “Kill me. He’s a child and has so much to look forward to in life.”

Tyler shook his head rapidly, eyes still fixed on his dad’s body that was about a metre away from his feet. “No, no, no... I have nothing. I’ve lost my boyfriend and my dad and my family don’t give a shit about me. I- I want to die.” Tyler looked the more scared of the two, his face as pale as a ghost’s, as if he was already dead. It broke Jackieboy Man’s heart since he had known the boy all through his childhood and he had always seemed so happy.

Jackieboy Man turned to the others for help, unsure about what to do. Marvin wasn’t even paying attention and his eyes were fixed on Chase’s lifeless body, hands clenched into fists at his sides. A soft yellow glow was being emitted from his hands. The others were terrified: they knew any of them could be next. Markiplier looked extremely frustrated, practically glaring at the enemy like his gaze could set him on fire or something. Jack was biting his lip, mouth continuously opening and closing as if he was a goldfish.

Tyler’s eyes were glistening with tears before he scrunched them shut and embraced the coldness of the gun against his temple. His head was pounding and he felt like it was on the verge of exploding so he was practically begging the demon to shoot. 

“Can’t choose?” Anti questioned, moving the gun onto Henrik’s head instead. “You’ve got five seconds before they both get it. Five... four... three... two...”

“Henrik!” Jackieboy Man shouted, covering his ears with his hands to try and block out the gun shot and his friend’s scream. He could still hear it. His knees buckled beneath him and he fell to the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks. Henrik’s body fell, a terrifying amount of red dripping down his face. He fell right next to Chase who was as white as a sheet at that point.

“No!” Tyler screamed, trying to reach out for Anti’s gun. He grabbed it but Anti kneed him in the gut before he could take it. Tyler collapsed, an arm wrapped around himself. He just laid there, unsure how else to react.


	16. Chapter 16

“Mark and Marvin, care to join me?” Anti didn’t even care. Two of Jackieboy Man’s friends were lying on the floor, presumably dead and he was _enjoying_ it. He was sick. Twisted. Psychotic. He didn’t even belong in jail: he belonged in a mental asylum inside a padded room where he wouldn’t have any contact with the outside world. Markiplier and Marvin slowly approached the demon and Markiplier winced when he stepped over Henrik. “This should be an easy one for you, right?” Anti circled Jackieboy Man, even going as far as to place a hand on his shoulder to taunt him. “Best friend or rival...”

“I don’t want to kill anyone...”

“You say that and there are literally two dead bodies in front of you. You killed them, even if you weren’t the one holding the gun.”

“I didn’t want them to die!”

“You chose them! This is all your fault. All. Your. Fault.”

Jackieboy Man threaded his hands into his hair and pulled it roughly, keeling in on himself as he sobbed. He couldn’t even open his eyes because then he’d have to look at his two friends that he had _murdered_. Anti was right... _it was his fault_. He was the one who deserved to die. 

“Let’s put a little twist on this game,” Anti smirked as he gestured to Jackieboy Man’s gun that he had dropped some time during the ‘game’. “Pick it up.” Jackieboy Man didn’t make an effort to move so he held his gun out towards Marvin. “Pick. It. Up.” He repeated, that time a lot harsher and more threatening. Jackieboy Man picked it up and got back up onto his feet. “You do it this time. Hey, maybe this should be a round two type of thing.”

Jackieboy Man shook his head. 

“Did I hear you say you want them both to die?” At that, Jackieboy Man raised the gun. It was trembling violently as he stepped forward and pressed it against Markiplier’s temple.

“I’m sorry...” He whispered, finger hovered over the trigger. “I can’t do it.” He inhaled deeply before moving the weapon so that it was against his own head.

“Oh, what a plot twist!” Anti sang, licking his lips as the tears ran down the hero’s face. “Is he going to do it?”

“Jackie, you can kill me. You’ve always been stronger than me, okay? I’m just stuck up and won’t admit it. I’m admitting it now because you’re the one who can beat Anti. I won’t be able to do it. I don’t know him like you do.”

“Mark, I don’t think I can...”

Markiplier reached out and placed his hand on Jackieboy Man’s shoulder. He connected their eyes and smiled ever so gently to try and give the hero a bit more courage. “You can. I believe in you,” He wrapped his fingers around Jackieboy Man’s wrist and guided the gun back to his own head. “I want you to shoot me.”

“M-Mark, please don’t make me do this...”

“Five seconds, boys!” 

“This is all my fault. If I had defeated him the first time I saw him...”

“Five, four-“

“You couldn’t have, Jackie. He’s strong. You didn’t know anything about him. You know a lot about him now so I think you could do it this time.”

“Three, two-“

“Just, shoot me...”

“One.” The sound of the bullet that time was so much worse. Markiplier smiled gently before collapsing as blood poured out of his skull. Jackieboy Man stared at him, breathing ragged as he did so. The gun fell from his grip.

“You’re a monster just like me. You aren’t a hero. You just killed a man that has saved loads of people.” Jackieboy Man didn’t say anything else, just sobbing into his hands. 

The survivors stared at Jackieboy Man with fearful gazes. Marvin was back into his thoughtful expression, eyes shut and hands glowing.

“That concludes the game! I’ll see you tomorrow for the next episode...” Anti did a twirl and then bowed for the group, clicking his fingers and disappearing. 

Marvin immediately ran towards the bodies and bent down. He traced his warm hand over Henrik’s wound, not caring that his hand became red. The blood barely phased him as he closed his eyes and focused all of his energy into the one point of contact. He placed his warm hand on top of Henrik’s cold forehead and focused all of his energy into it. Jackieboy Man wasn’t really paying attention, too enveloped in rocking back and forth and mumbling about how he wasn’t any better than Anti, the guy he was meant to be protecting the world from. A bright glow transferred from Marvin’s skin onto Henrik’s and the doctor’s body began to violently tremble.

Then his eyes snapped open and he sat up, breathing heavily. “Scheiße! **(Fuck!)** ” He yelled, frantically glancing around the room to figure what was going on. The last thing he remembered was being shot and then everything fading to black. 

“Your head might hurt for a bit.” Marvin simply mumbled before scooting over to Chase. He did the exact same thing but a deeper frown was on his face. “Please don’t be too late...” He whispered to himself so that it was inaudible to the others.

“Why isn’t dad moving?” Tyler questioned, swallowing thickly. He was staring down at his dad’s limp body and every part of him was hoping and _praying_ his eyes would open. The last thing Tyler wanted was to lose his dad. His dad was everything to him, especially after Stacy had kicked him out and his boyfriend had turned out to not exist at all.

“It might be too late...” Marvin sat back, staring at his body and expecting it to move. Twitch, even. But nothing happened. It stayed as still as a statue. Before he could spare time grieving, he moved onto Markiplier and repeated the process. His eyes quickly flickered open and he stared at Marvin as if he was a ghost.

“Am I... dead?” He asked, pinching his arm and squinting his eyes at the environment.

“No, you’re alive. I healed you.” Henrik let out a little laugh, filled with both insanity and disbelief. His hands traced his face, up to where the gun had hit him. The wound had closed up, leaving a tiny scar and the remnants of blood down his face.

“Unmöglich... **(Impossible)** ” Henrik put two shaky fingers onto his neck and, sure enough, there was a pulse. “Das ist verrückt. **(This is crazy)** ”

The attention was diverted away from Henrik as a loud cough was heard and then a yell of, “Dad!” Everyone turned to see Chase sitting up, hat in one hand whilst the other hand wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead. His eyes were scrunched shut and his head was pounding. He couldn’t fully comprehend what was going on, considering just a moment ago he had been dead. The last thing he could remember was the gun shot that rung around the basement and then an intense pain as he fell to the ground.

“What the...” He started, cracking his eyes open. The light was almost unbearable as it glared at him but he had just enough time to glance at all of his friend’s relieved expressions before he had to close them again. He coughed, wincing as he did so.

“Chase... I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it...” Marvin was laughing so loudly that tears were beginning to trail down his cheeks. The others soon joined in but they weren’t entirely sure what they were laughing at. They had almost lost a few of their friends and they were currently locked in the basement of some abandoned warehouse. The situation wasn’t exactly admirable.

Tyler had his arms wrapped around Chase tightly as he chuckled. He had never been the sort of son to provide physical contact but that changed as soon as he got a second chance to see his dad again. He never wanted to let him go, afraid he would leave again. 

“Guys...” Jack spoke up after staying silent the entire time. He wasn’t laughing and it had taken them all too long to realise that. He was staring mainly at Jackieboy Man, his face paler than usual and a frown on his face. As everyone expectantly stared at him, his mouth kept opening and closing. The words were on the tip of his tongue but he was struggling to phrase it. He _knew_ something the others didn’t that could be vital to defeating Anti. He was just too terrified to admit it. “Actually, never mind...”

“What is it?” Jackieboy Man asked, no longer laughing. His face was serious and slightly stern. “If it’s about Anti or something, we need to know.”

Jack glanced down at his trembling legs, shaking his head and mumbling, “It’s nothing.”


	17. Chapter 17

Jackieboy Man soon discovered the discomfort of sleeping on the hard floor of a basement. Chase was the most used to it, having stayed there the longest. Chase was out like a light; as were Henrik, JJ and Tyler. Marvin, Markiplier and Jackieboy Man stayed up a lot later than the others, the wood floor uncomfortable against their backs. They wished that they could just transport back home into their warm beds to sleep. Jack was just awake because he was deep in thought.

He wasn’t sure how to tell the others. If he did tell them and Anti found out, he had threatened to kill all of his friends and give him a front row seat to watch. He didn’t want his friends to die but, if he didn’t tell them, they wouldn’t have even the slightest chance of defeating the villain. He bit his lip, staring up at the roof and pretending to be asleep. He couldn’t bear any questions.

“Hey, I have a question,” Markiplier spoke up out of the blue. He kept his voice no louder than a whisper so that he didn’t wake up the ones that were semi-peacefully sleeping. “How come you can’t magic us out of here? JJ can’t transport us?” His question was directed mostly at Marvin, hence the fact that they were sharing eye contact. Jackieboy Man turned to face him too, curious now that the question had been brought up. 

“It’s complicated,” Marvin pulled his mask down so that it covered a larger fraction of his nose. “There’s some sort of... field around this place. It prevents us from transporting or using magic to get out. I don’t know how but it only works for Anti.” Jack shifted, turning to face the wall instead of the ceiling.

“Makes sense... sort of, I guess. Well... not really,” The basement lapsed into silence for a bit as Markiplier contemplated the enemy. “He seems so intelligent... I don’t understand why he’d turn to crime.”

“Me neither. There are definitely some... psychological issues there.”

“We should sleep. Who knows when we’re going to have to fight him? We need energy otherwise we’ll have no chance.” Marvin spoke up because it seemed like Jackieboy Man and Markiplier would have been able to talk all night. Jack bit his lip, opening his mouth as if he was going to say something. Of course, no one saw since he was turned away from them. Jack knew they’d have no chance because Anti wasn’t a demon. He was so much more complicated than that. He kept quiet, closing his eyes and listening to all of his friends as they shuffled and got ready to sleep.

-

“I have a plan,” Jackieboy Man exclaimed, a small smile on his face. The sound of his voice woke Tyler up. His eyes opened slightly and he went to sit up but felt strong arms around him. He let out a tiny noise of confusion before realising it was his dad. He had fallen asleep in his dad’s protective embrace and he never really wanted to move. After everything that had happened and the near death experience (it wasn’t even really near, considering he _had_ died), he never wanted them to be separated again. “Is he going to come in here? Give us food or some shit?”

“This isn’t a bed and breakfast, Jackie. We don’t get those luxuries,” Chase mumbled, unwrapping his arms from his son so that they could both sit up. “He will be here though. To check on us.”

“Someone can sneak out. Get a weapon and come back when he least expects it.” Jackieboy Man was grinning as if he has just solved the secret code to unlock some sort of safe that held treasure. Jack had paled substantially, a worrying amount for an Irishman. 

“It’s worth trying... what do we have to lose?” Chase muttered, looking around at all of his friends. Tyler was clutching his hand tightly. 

“Our lives!” Markiplier yelled. He was glancing at everyone like they were insane because they hadn’t even considered their own lives.

“Marvin can heal so that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Right...”

“Who’s going to go?”

“I will, I’m more experienced than most of you at fighting crime.” Markiplier said, frowning. He warily glanced at the door, a nauseous feeling in his stomach.

“I need to go too!” Jack exclaimed, holding his hand up in the air. The group stared at him like he was insane and Chase even went as far as to laugh. “He’s going to need some sort of back up.”

JJ pulled out his pocket watch, clicking it open and reading the time. His hands rapidly moved to sign, ‘ _We have under one minute. Just let Jack go._ ’

Jack, being the only one who understood, rapidly nodded. “JJ supports me. Let’s go.”

Markiplier and Jack both headed over to the door, standing right up against the wall so that they wouldn’t be spotted immediately. JJ still had his watch open and he held up three fingers. Then two. Then one.

The door flew open to reveal a smirking Anti. They quickly ducked behind him before he could shut the door and then they were running up the stairs.

“There’s something you need to know!” Jack yelled, breathless.

“Not right now, Jack!” Both of them were taking two steps at a time, waiting for the demon to call them back or start chasing them. Jack’s mouth snapped shut and they continued to run, bursting out onto the first floor.

“It’s kind of serious!”

“Jack, I said not now! We need to get out!”

As much as Jack didn’t want to, he shut up and just kept running. Their loud footsteps echoed around the empty warehouse, adding to the intensity of the situation. They shoved a large door open and the humid, outside air hit their bodies. The adrenaline that had been fuelling them vanished and they suddenly realised how much running they had done. Jack placed both hands on his hips and hunched over, breathing heavily. Markiplier, the fitter of the two, didn’t seem as bothered because fighting crime had allowed him to build up his stamina so he was pretty much used to the running at that point.

“Shit, man. I need to work out more.” Jack muttered, eliciting a soft chuckle from the superhero. Both snapped their heads around as the door slammed shut behind them, frightened Anti was on their tail. “Just the wind.”

“Just the wind,” Markiplier repeated, sounding like he was just attempting to convince them both. “We should start planning before it’s too late. Who knows what he’ll do when he finds out Marvin healed Chase and the others.”

“There’s something you need to know...”

“It can’t be as important as us finding a way out of here.”

“Actually-“

“Shut up. I’m thinking.” Markiplier squinted his eyes and scanned the environment for anything that would help them. They were literally in the middle of nowhere. Surrounding them was nothing but trees and grass, presumably for miles. A road stretched out in front of them but there wasn’t a single car to be seen. “We could just walk and hope a car drives by... then hitch a ride?”

Jack let out a small laugh but it faded into nothing when he noticed Markiplier’s serious countenance. “Are you serious, man? That’s like... the opening to a horror movie.”

“And being kidnapped by some evil demon isn’t?” Jack shut up and looked down at his feet. Markiplier let out a satisfactory huff before starting to walk down the stone-y road. The floor crunched underneath their feet and the air was misty with dust. It wasn’t the most pleasant of hikes they had experienced. There were black clouds floating in the sky, suggesting that a storm was on its way and it could start raining at any moment. That would just be the cherry on top of the sweet, sweet cake.

Jack swore as a droplet of rain hit his cheek. It was cold and ironically soothing in the humid weather. They walked in silence for around half an hour before a low hum filled their ears. They turned to see a car driving in their direction and both of their faces lit up like the sun that was hiding behind the clouds. They waved their arms frantically and let out little relieved sighs as the car rolled to a stop.

A guy that looked too young to drive stared at them, a single eyebrow raised. He had just been driving around whilst thinking and had come across Markiplier and some other guy looking miserable. “I’m a huge fan!” He squealed, further making him appear too young to drive. He stepped out of the car.

Jack grinned at Markiplier, hoping he’d use his charm to get them a ride back to either Jack or Markiplier’s. “It’s nice to meet you but we need a lift.”

“Where to?” Jack told him his address before Markiplier could say his. “Okay! But it will cost you.”

“Yeah? We have money back-“

“No! I want a photo. You’re like... my idol. I literally cannot believe this!” The guy squealed again and jumped up and down on the spot. His eccentric personality matched his bright, blue hair and very colourful shirt. He definitely didn’t look like a fully-functioning adult.

“Oh, of course.” The guy got out his phone with shaky hands and practically shoved it into Markiplier’s hand. The guy then pressed himself into Markiplier’s side to get in frame before grinning so wide that wrinkles formed under his eyes. Markiplier handed the phone back.

“Get in!”


	18. Chapter 18

“I’m Ethan by the way!” _Ethan_ randomly exclaimed as Jack and Markiplier climbed out of the car. “I don’t think I told you- not that you care. You’re the amazing Markiplier, why would you care about a stupid fan like me?”

Markiplier chuckled, patting the guy on the shoulder. “I do care,” He said, despite knowing Ethan would become nothing but a distant memory, a blurry image in the mess of all the fans he had met as soon as they parted. “Eden-“

“Ethan.” He didn’t even seem bothered that Markiplier had gotten his name wrong. He just appeared to be on cloud nine, his cheeks red and his smile wide.

“Ethan,” Markiplier corrected. “How would you feel about being a part of a top secret mission?” Ethan’s eyes widened and neither of the others thought his face could get any brighter but apparently it was possible. Jack sent a glare in Markiplier’s general direction; Ethan had no idea what he was getting himself into. “You’d be able to fight a villain with me and some of my friends.”

“Will Jackie be there?!” His voice was so high-pitched as he started to jump up and down again. He was just a bundle of energy and it made Markiplier and Jack wonder how much sugar he had consumed.

“Yep.” He popped the ‘p’, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair.

“I must be dreaming! No one’s going to believe this! There’s going to be so much proof!”

“Proof..?”

Ethan’s face turned a dark red and he murmured, “I said that aloud?” Markiplier nodded. Ethan then mumbled something under his breath, so quietly that it was inaudible to the others.

“Huh?”

“Proof for Jackiplier...” Markiplier barked out a loud laugh; as did Jack. “It’s yours and Jackie’s ship name.”

“What the actual fuck? You want- You want me and Jackie to be together?” Markiplier was laughing so hard that he was struggling to speak properly. Poor Ethan resembled a tomato, staring at his lap to avoid awkward eye contact.

“It would be cute. You suit each other...” Ethan let out a gentle, sad smile. “Actually, I don’t think I can help you...”

“No, no, it’s okay! You’re vital to the plan.”

“I’ve messed up now though, haven’t I? You don’t like Jackie like that and my dreams have been crushed. I- I really need to go.” Ethan hung his head, allowing his blue fringe to fall over his hazel eyes, and he looked extremely dejected. All of his energy had disappeared and it made Markiplier feel almost... guilty.

“Please, Ethan?”

“No. You _laughed_ at me.”

“I wasn’t laughing at you,” Markiplier leaned forward and Jack eyed him warily. “Maybe I do like Jackie and I just prefer to hide it.”

“Really?!” The hope returned to Ethan’s voice. Jack rolled his eyes, aware Markiplier was lying in order to convince Ethan to help them out with whatever plan he had concocted.

“Yes and, if you help us out, I’ll tell him.”

Ethan looked like he was going to faint. His face was white and he looked- well, no synonym for happy would be enough to express his joy. “Okay!” Suddenly sad, dejected Ethan didn’t seem to ever existed.

-

“You won’t tell Jackie. You don’t even like him! You lied.” Jack said in a hushed whisper. Ethan was in the bathroom and he was using that private time to confront Markiplier about his devious ways.

“We need him for my plan, Ja-“ Markiplier argued.

“What plan?” He cut him off, knowing they didn’t have much time. Ethan could have returned at any moment.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Imagine how heart-broken Ethan will be if he found out his idol-“ Jack had to stop as Ethan bounded into the room. Markiplier didn’t even looked remotely guilty. He just sent Ethan a bunch of smiles and the poor man had no idea how fake the hero was. It made Jack sick.

-

“So, here’s the plan,” Markiplier started, balancing his elbows on the table and leaning forward. They were sitting around Jack’s kitchen table like it was some sort of secret hideout. “I spoke to my dude, Rex-”

“What sort of name is that?” Jack laughed but Markiplier glared at him, making him shut up. 

“This is serious. No joking around.”

“Okay.” Jack snorted.

“As I was saying, my dude, Rex is going to get us alarms. Both Jack and I will have one in our pockets so, at the slightest sign of trouble, we can press it. They will connect to Ethan’s phone and he will be alerted if we press them. He can then get the police before we have any casualties.”

“Why don’t you just call the police first?” Ethan questioned.

“Because I’m better than the police.” Markiplier grinned and showed off his pearly white teeth. Jack could have sworn he saw Ethan blush and swoon a little. “So Jack and I are going to break in with a shit tonne of weapons and attack whilst Ethan waits outside for the alarm.”

“Is that all I do? That’s lame.”

“It’s a vital job, Eden.”

“Ethan.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said.”

“No, it’s-“

“There’s one problem with that,” Jack spoke up, his voice low. He refused to meet the gazes of the other two, knowing they’d be infuriated when they heard what he had to say. “Anti isn’t a demon.”

“That’s so stupid, he-“ Markiplier started but Jack cut him off.

“When we were kidnapped, he had a software problem on a computer. He took me there to help him fix it because I’m amazing with computers. He had a gun to my head the entire time and- and he threatened to kill you all if I told.”

“Why does some stupid computer matter?”

“Because Anti isn’t real. He’s a virus. The computer was his heart. To destroy Anti, we need to destroy that computer.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this sooner?!” Markiplier’s voice raised substantially in volume as he got up onto his feet. He slammed his fists onto the table, making it shake. “We should have known-“

“I tried! I tried to tell you! Plus, I was scared.”

“We’re still going to go through with this plan but with a new target. Anti doesn’t matter anymore. It’s all about this computer. Do you know where it is?”

Jack nodded. “I could get us to it.”

Ethan made a little squeak noise and both Markiplier and Jack turned to face him, mildly concerned. He had his eyes shut and was grinning like an absolute maniac. When he opened his eyes and saw the other two staring, he blushed and mumbled, “I’m just so fucking excited.”


	19. Chapter 19

“Ethan, stay here.” Markiplier commanded, Jack at his side. Ethan looked kind of sad that he’d miss out on all the action but he was ecstatic just to be there. He was definitely going to film it and post it on a blog he had that may or may be dedicated to Jackiplier but no one needed to know that.

“Yes, Sir!” Ethan grinned, saluting the hero. His legs were like jelly and he was surprised that they were still able to hold him up.

“And Jack, you got the stuff?”

“Mark, you’re making it sound like drugs.” Jack replied, choosing to be snarky rather than honest. His respect for Markiplier had decreased since he had lied to Ethan. Markiplier glared at him, making Jack roll his eyes and mumble, “Yes, I have the coke.”

Markiplier nodded and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his gun and cocked it. “Ready?” He turned to Jack who nodded slowly. Markiplier then barged into the door and Jack overtook him, knowing the path to the computer. Jack’s weapon remained in his bag since he needed both hands free to find it. There were a dozen large crates scattered around the warehouse and one of them hid the ladder that lead to the room.

He pushed one of them to the left but all he found was floor. “Start pushing the crates...” He whispered, not too loud in case Anti was close enough to hear. “There’s a trapdoor underneath one of them.” Markiplier nodded, doing as he was told. It took around ten minutes for Jack to find the hidden door. He grinned at his discovery, opening it up as quietly as possible. Then he started to climb down. Markiplier followed but not without complaining about how ominous a hidden trapdoor was. 

The room was pitch black so both started to fumble around the walls in search for a light switch. Markiplier flicked it on and the room lit up.

“You made it then, huh?” A voice said, making them both jump. Anti was sitting on a broken desk chair and he twirled around at the sound of the intruders. His arms were folded and his lips were in a thin line. He had deep, black bags beneath his eyes and he was twitching more than usual. Tyler was standing beside him, body trembling in nothing in terror.

Markiplier raised the gun and Anti eyed it a little warily. Markiplier was squinting and had a single finger poised over the trigger. It wasn’t pointing at Anti but at the computer behind him. He shot and the bullet smashed the monitor. Anti violently glitched and his skin tinted a light shade of red, as if the bullet had not only damaged the monitor but a part of his programming too.

Noticing Markiplier wasn’t messing around, Anti stood up. He slowly snaked an arm around Tyler who was frozen like an ice sculpture. “I knew you’d return, ready to fight...” Anti then pulled out a weapon of his own: a short but extremely sharp knife. He spent a short moment waving it around whilst he spoke. “You never give up, do you? I underestimated you and I think you underestimated me too. You thought I was careless enough not to rig this place with cameras? I’m a virus; I have eyes _everywhere_. I can connect to anything and use a camera to spy. I knew you’d leave. I knew your plans and I have all along. I just wanted to make it fun. If you simply obeyed me like... like dogs... it would be no fun at all.”

Markiplier backed up ever so slightly and his hands were sweaty around the gun. “You... were watching us this whole time.”

“I’m always watching.” Anti’s mouth morphed into his signature smirk. “Now, I have one last level in this amazing game. It’s a deal.” Jack very literally yelped for Tyler as Anti pressed the knife into the boy’s neck.

“Let him go!” Jack yelled, aware Chase would never forgive him or Markiplier if they let his son get hurt. In addition, Tyler was like a son to Jack too and, if Tyler got badly hurt and he could have avoided it, the guilt and mourning would emotionally wreck him.

“You destroy my computer... but I get to kill Tyler.” Tyler struggled against Anti’s grip but it only made Anti press the knife down harder. Blood was yet to seep out but Tyler’s neck was turning red from the pressure. It contrasted his face that was as pale as a ghost.

“No.” Jack simply said. He didn’t even give Markiplier a choice because there was no way he was letting his friend’s child die on his accord.

“Yes,” Markiplier then replied, sending a sympathetic look to Jack. The sympathy completely vanished as he turned back to the virus. “If this is what we need to do.” Jack desperately wanted to argue and scream at the man who was meant to be a ‘hero’ but would easily sacrifice someone without fighting. Maybe they could have found a compromise that left both sides happy. Instead, his mouth snapped shut, deciding there was no point in turning on his own team. If he did, there was a high chance Anti would get away _and_ Tyler’s life would be taken.

“Dad!” Tyler shouted out, tears filling his eyes. Markiplier was watching him break down and he still had it in him to let him die. Jack wondered if Markiplier was more villain than hero.

“He can’t save you now... I think we should listen to Mark. This needs to happen. Just know, Tyler, you’ll die a hero. No one cares about you but, hey, at least you can save a few people. I bet your dad will celebrate. Finally, his burden of a son will be gone.”

“He loves me.” Tyler choked out as tears streamed down his pale cheeks. Jack wanted to reassure him but Anti started to speak again before he could.

“No, he hates you. He thought you were pathetic. And he hated that you want to be with Connor.”

“But he said-“

“To your face he was accepting but behind your back...”

“How do-“

“I’m always watching. I know what he said when you weren’t around. _He hated you and wished you had never been born._ ” Tyler’s scream was harrowing as Anti drove the knife deeper into his neck. Red flooded out of the wound and down his neck. He let out one final, light gasp and Anti dropped him to the floor, along with the bloody knife. “No Marvin to help him this time, hey?”

“You- You monster!” Jack yelled, too frightened to even think about moving.

“Did you expect anything less?” Markiplier stepped forward, hands still wrapped around the gun. His grip was a lot weaker and he was quivering. Anti let out a loud cackle, diving forward and knocking the gun away from Markiplier. “You thought you could defeat me? I am stronger than you. You’re weak. It was just a matter of time-“ Anti suddenly glitched, his body changing into a light blue hue. “-Until you lost the battle.” His voice was raspier but it was still fluctuating in pitch. Then his body slowly faded into a wall of code. It started at his feet and rose upwards until his entire body was just rows of numbers. Then _nothing_. A dangerous amount of smoke was rising out of the computer, as if it had just exploded or something.

Tyler had a hand pressed against his wound, the other tightly gripping the knife that was buried in the computer. His chest was rising and falling at a rapid speed and his face was shiny due to how much he was crying. Jack ran forward to the boy, worriedly placing a hand on his back and rubbing it around in circles. “It will be okay. Just stay with me, Ty. Don’t close your eyes.” He whispered, voice soft.

“D-Dad...” Tyler choked out, eyelids heavy.

“If you stay awake, you can see him again, okay? I promise. We need to wait just a little while longer...” Jack’s emotions contrasted his gentle tone. Really, he was infuriated. Mark was just watching the two with a tiny frown on his face but he wasn’t even attempting to help Tyler in anyway. The teenager was dying and all he could do was watch... until, eventually, he backed away and headed up the ladder.  
Tyler’s eyes kept closing for too long to be considered a blink and Jack was petrified. The boy’s breathing had slowed down substantially and the wound was bleeding so much that Tyler’s once white shirt had become a dark red colour. “Talk to me. Tell me about your dad? Or Connor? Maybe something else you like?”

“Connor wasn’t- wasn’t real. Anti created him.”

“Tell me about something happy.”

“Dad said he’d take me- me on holiday once we escaped. Said we’d go- go to Japan or Sweden or Aus-Australia. He was going to let me choose but- but I said I didn’t care as long as I was with him.”

“Yeah, what did he say to that?”

“He told me to stop being sappy and cheesy,” Tyler let out a dry laugh but it shook his body and only caused him more pain. “I meant it though. I- I never want to lose him. Jack,” Tyler looked at Jack through wide, innocent and tear-filled eyes. “I don’t- I don’t want to die.”

“You won’t, okay? Mark’s going to get help. All you need to do is stay awake.”

“I can’t, it- it hurts.”

“I know, Ty, I know. Just hold on.” Jack laced his fingers with Tyler’s, despite his hand being extremely bloody. Jack didn’t care about that though: he just wanted his friend’s son to be okay. He could only hope Mark truly was going to get help. Tyler’s eyes slowly closed and Jack yelled his name over and over again, crying as he shook his body. “No, no, no! Wake up!” He screamed, watching as Tyler’s head lolled to the side. “Wake up, Ty. Come on. You can’t die just yet! You have your whole life ahead of you!”

“Sir, we need you to move.” Someone said before pushing Jack to the side. The paramedic ran forward and towards Tyler. Everything went in slow motion.


	20. Chapter 20

“This is my fault...” Jack mumbled as he sat down beside Chase, wrapping an arm around his skinny frame. “Anti proposed a deal. He said he’d let Mark kill him if he could kill Tyler. I said no but Mark agreed to it like an idiot. I should- I should have stopped him or something.”

“It’s Mark’s fault then,” Chase whispered, placing a hand on top of Tyler’s. His son was lying in front of him, pale as a corpse. His eyes were shut and there was a thick bandage around his neck. His chest was rising and falling at a slow pace, a sign that he was alive but weak. “If he was the one to agree to it.”

“Well, yeah... but I was there. I could have-“ Chase shook his head.

“There was nothing you could do. It’s over now and he’s okay; that’s all that matters.”

“I suppose...”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

“I can’t help it though. I was there... I could have have done something! What if-“

“Try not to focus on the ‘what if’s. I know it’s hard but they just make things worse. You can’t change what happened and we can only hope Tyler is okay.”

“I hope so. If he-“

“The doctor said he would be okay, didn’t he? You trust him, right?”

“Of course, I just-“

“Then shut up. He’ll be alright.” Jack sighed, glancing down at Chase’s hand on top of his son’s. He smiled ever so slightly, just hoping Chase was right and they’d all come out closer after everything that had happened.

-

They were on the verge of getting kicked out because there were so many of them. Everyone (even Ethan) had come to visit Tyler who was sitting up in bed, awake. They were surrounding the bed and, although it was slightly overwhelming, Tyler loved it.

They were all just discussing how relieved they were that Tyler was alive until Ethan changed the subject. “I seem to remember a certain deal we had...” He was wearing a cheeky grin on his face, like he knew Markiplier had lied to him about the feelings. 

“Eden-“

“Ethan.”

“Ethan,” Markiplier corrected. “That was just-“

“But you promised!” Ethan whined, like a little kid. He pouted and looked at Markiplier with puppy dog eyes. 

“Fuck it...” Markiplier mumbled, turning to face Jackieboy Man who had no idea what was going on. He placed his hands on the hero’s cheeks before pressing their lips together. Jackieboy Man didn’t even respond, out of shock. It took him a few seconds to even comprehend what was happening. Then Markiplier was pulling away and it all seemed too soon.

“Yes!” Ethan yelled, his phone in his hands. Markiplier’s eyes widened and he reached to snatch the phone off of the other man but missed.

“This is so going on my blog!” He then raced out of the room, Markiplier on his tail.

“You little shit! Delete it! Delete it now!”

“Never!” Ethan was laughing hysterically as he ran and clicked post at the same time. “Done!”

“You fucking-“ Markiplier started but he cut himself off with a small chuckle.

“You’re welcome. I bet people will just think I’m a wiz at Photoshop which I kind of am anyway.”

“What do you use Photoshop for? Is it like a job or something?”

Ethan nervously laughed, refusing to meet Markiplier’s eyes. “Yeah, something like that.”

-

“What was that in there?!” Jackieboy Man asked. He was still in shock that the Markiplier had kissed him and didn’t think it was worth explaining afterwards.

“I kissed you.” Markiplier simply said, sighing a little. He had left the hospital room after the kiss and Jackieboy Man just had to follow in order to gain some well-needed answers.

“Why?! Did it mean something to you?”

“Nah, man. It was just a deal. Ethan said he’d help if I ‘told you I liked you’. Yeah, right, I definitely like you.”

“Oh.” Jackieboy Man gazed down at his shoes, unsure of how else to respond. He felt slightly offended that Markiplier would kiss him because of a stupid deal.

“Is it bad if I don’t have feelings for you?”

Jackieboy Man opened his mouth and closed it a few times before settling on, “No. It’s not.”

“Good.”

-

Jackieboy Man laid low for a bit after the whole kidnapping situation. Anti wasn’t around so he didn’t have to worry about him causing trouble but there were _always_ villains littering the streets. If one day passed without an attack, it wouldn’t just be a good day; it would be a literal miracle. Markiplier was the one who took centre stage. He didn’t mind getting up in the early hours of the morning and staying up extremely late to ensure the streets were safe.

Prioritising his own mental health (since being kidnapped is fairly traumatising, even for the coolest of superheroes) and his friend’s son who was pretty much family, he stayed at home. Chase and Tyler stayed over for a while too, sleeping on the sofas. Tyler was healing slowly and struggled with his speaking but at least he hadn’t completely lost his voice. The cut in his neck had needed serious stitches but it would heal and only leave a scar.

He started to feel weak after a few days. He had struggled to get out of bed but forced himself to anyway. Tyler was going through something so much harder than him so he decided he had the ability to fight the minor virus he most likely had. He pretended he was okay, even when the other egos asked him why he was so pale and weak. Usually Jackieboy Man would be bouncing off the walls, the most hyper in the house, but he much preferred to lay down on the sofa during his break.

Chase was craving someone to go skating with him but Jackieboy Man refused, despite usually loving the activity. Jackieboy Man was usually Chase’s go-to partner when it came to the childish activities and skating and he hated turning him down but he was just so _tired_.

Then, one day, he just couldn’t get out of bed. Marvin was the first one at his side, staring at him with wide, worried eyes. “It’s Mark,” He had mumbled, mostly to himself. Jackieboy Man heard and tried his best to sit up a little but was too weak. “People are starting to like him more.”

“But why is that,” Jackieboy Man weakly coughed, his entire body shivering. Marvin frowned and pressed a hand into Jackieboy Man’s forehead to find it was boiling. He had a serious fever. “That making me so weak?”

“You know why, Jackie... We can’t let people forget you.” 

Jackieboy Man slowly shook his head, mumbling, “That just makes me sound egotistical.”

“That’s just the way it is. You didn’t choose your power. You need to get your name out there again before you get even weaker.”

“You don’t think it could kill me, right?” Marvin refused to meet his friend’s eyes and he shifted his weight from one foot to another. Jackieboy Man would have noticed had he not had his eyes shut because of his pounding head.

“All I say is don’t underestimate the power of magic.”

-

“Shit!” Chase yelled, running into Jackieboy Man’s bedroom. Jackieboy Man was half asleep in his bed, mounds of blankets covering his trembling, fever-ridden body. “Mark’s in trouble.”

“What do you mean?” Marvin answered for Jackieboy Man who barely had the energy to open his mouth. He got up onto his feet, white fire forming and dancing around his fists as he prepared himself for a fight.

“He was live on the news. I think- I think someone pushed him off a building or something! He wasn’t moving!”

Jackieboy Man jolted up as quickly as he could with the level of energy he had. “I need to help him.” He winced as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand up. His knees immediately gave in and he collapsed but luckily Chase was there to catch him.

”You’re too weak, Jackie. I’ll go.”

“No. I need- need to help him.” He erupted into a coughing fit in Chase’s arms, making Marvin stare at him warily.

“You physically can’t handle it. He’ll crush you like an ant.”

“He’s going to die, Marv.”

“Okay then but if you get yourself killed, it won’t be my fault,” Jackieboy Man satisfactorily grinned but Chase didn’t let him go. His legs were still weak and he couldn’t even hold himself up. Marvin let out a gentle huff and placed his hands on the hero’s shoulders. “All I can do is give you some energy, alright? But it won’t last forever. I give you a maximum of half an hour.”


	21. Chapter 21

_Twenty minutes remaining._

Jackieboy Man felt good with his power back. He missed the power and adrenaline he felt in battle. The rush was indescribable and Jackieboy Man didn’t love anything more than feeling it. Although he was slightly slower and wasn’t entirely back to his usual self, it felt amazing to be able to stand on his own again. He made it to the building in ten minutes to find the villain was holding a little girl over the edge. Marvin had taken Henrik to find Mark so that they could make sure he was okay, whilst Jackieboy Man went to take on the enemy.

“Don’t drop her,” Jackieboy Man shouted over the howling winds. The girl was screaming, her legs flailing as if she was trying to walk on air. “Put her back on the roof or you’ll regret it.”

“No.” The villain simply said, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. In contrast with his words, he brought the girl back to the safety of the roof and let her go. She immediately ran for the door that led to the stairs down to the ground. Jackieboy Man cracked his knuckles and smiled. His cape was dancing in the air, along with his hair and it was exhilarating. He missed having power in a situation. 

As the man disappeared completely, Jackieboy Man gave him the name ‘The Cheshire Cat’. The hero didn’t panic because he knew to expect the unexpected. Then he felt an impact in his chest, as if someone had punched him. He fell back, clutching his stomach before The Cheshire Cat came back into view. He was cackling, similarly to how Anti would, and it reminded him of a hyena. He was laughing crazily, eyes scrunched shut. Jackieboy Man frowned and ran forward, holding his arms out to push the enemy to the ground.

The Cheshire Cat vanished before he could hit him, throwing him off. Jackieboy Man halted quickly, almost tripping over in the process. Invisible hands wrapped around Jackieboy Man’s torso and threw him to the ground. His arm harshly met the ground and a crack filled the air. Jackieboy Man screamed out in pain and held it to his chest, eyes scrunched shut. The Cheshire Cat came back into view and raised his foot to crush Jackieboy Man’s hand. He jammed it down, making him scream out again.

“I’m going to kill you like I killed your little friend.” The Cheshire Cat grin was back on his face, wide enough to reach his crazy eyes. He was towering over Jackieboy Man who knew the thirty minutes was coming to an end. Maybe that would be it. Maybe he’d die, being killed by some villain that reminded him of a character from Alice In Wonderland. He shouldn’t have even bothered: Mark was going to get killed and maybe his friends would even get hurt too. The thirty minutes had come to an end and Jackieboy Man knew it because his eyelids were getting heavy. He was on the verge of giving up until he heard someone shout.

“Jackie!” Jackieboy Man turned his head ever so slightly to spot Chase watching him, holding out his phone. The back camera was facing Jackieboy Man as he was obviously the weaker participant in the fight. “You can do it! People believe in you!” Chase was jumping up and down on his feet, his high tops making a soft noise each time.

Jackieboy Man groaned, eliciting another cackle from the enemy. “You’re so weak. You’ve already given up.” He ignored the shooting pain in his arm and shoved The Cheshire Cat off of himself so he was free to stand up. The man was quick to use his power to disappear so that Jackieboy Man couldn’t attack him. He muttered a profanity but kept his guard up, fists clenched and ready to hit anything that touched him. The Cheshire Cat came back into view as he sent a punch flying towards Jackieboy Man’s face. The impact made him yelp but he ignored the pain, instead reaching out to grab the enemy’s collar. He just about managed and had his turn to throw a punch.

Comments were flooding in on Chase’s phone because he was streaming the entire thing. Everyone was cheering Jackieboy Man on with capital letters to emphasise what they were saying and show their sheer enthusiasm. The Cheshire Cat disappeared again but Jackieboy Man didn’t let go of him.

He noticed something. The periods of time The Cheshire Cat turned invisible were short. He could have chosen to vanish for longer, making his attacks so much easier and rendering Jackieboy Man more vulnerable. Why wasn’t he disappearing for longer? He was so caught up in his thoughts that he let his guard down and The Cheshire Cat managed to knock him to the ground again. His head knocked against the hard floor, making him dizzy for a short moment but he got straight back up, ready to fight. 

Something spread across his body like fire and it made him feel even stronger. The Cheshire Cat vanished for a millisecond before coming straight back into view. He ran for Jackieboy and thrust out a fist. Jackieboy Man managed to duck just in time. The Cheshire Cat looked shocked for a moment and Jackieboy Man reacted like lightning, getting the cat-like enemy to the ground. He started to throw punches as quick as possible, barely giving him time to feel the pain of the first before delivering another.

“How could- could you see me?” The Cheshire Cat choked out, a mere shell of the confident character they had been a few minutes previous. Jackieboy Man didn’t respond, just kicking the enemy’s head until his eyes fell shut.

“Shit, man! That was so cool!” Chase squealed, running towards Jackieboy Man who was sitting on the floor, a hand pressed into his head. “I’m right here with the hero himself! Do you have anything to say to your fans?”

Jackieboy Man let out a gentle laugh, despite feeling like he was on the verge of passing out himself. “Thank you. You’re the reason I’m here. You give me the courage and strength I need to continue fighting villains and protecting the world. All I need to say is, don’t ever forget me and Mark and I are on the same level. Don’t choose a favourite because favourites don’t matter. What matters is that we both get the job done. We work together to make the world a safer place.”

“Very inspiration- Jackie, are you alright?” Chase had obviously noticed the dazed expression on Jackieboy Man’s face. Jackieboy Man nodded but moved his hand away from his head to find that it was covered in blood. “Okay, we need to get Henrik...” Chase turned back to his phone and mumbled, “Jackie’s hurt himself but don’t you worry. Everything is good. Thanks for tuning in! Peace.” Chase then shut down the livestream and opened up Henrik’s contact. It was obvious his hands were shaking because the phone was almost a blur in his grip. Chase explained the situation to the doctor who was there within minutes.

“Jackie, don’t close your eyes. Stay with us.” Henrik muttered, watching as Jackieboy Man was struggling to open his eyes every time he blinked. “Come on...” Jackieboy Man let out a tiny noise that roughly resembled a groan before his head lulled to the side. Henrik swore in German before telling Chase that they needed to get Jackieboy Man to a hospital.


	22. Chapter 22

The light was too bright when Jackieboy Man opened his eyes. He squinted and blinked a few times before he adjusted to the light. He slowly sat up, wincing at the sharp pain in his head. He glanced around the room to see all of his friends staring at him anxiously. Even Mark and Ethan were there. “Jackie!” Chase was the first to speak, his face lit up.

“What the fuck happened..?” Jackieboy Man asked, speaking loudly because his head was pounding. Any sound just made it hurt even more. 

“You hit your head during a fight. You won but afterwards you passed out. You were so good. I’ve never seen a Bro Average livestream get so many views, man.” 

“I could have died but at least you get those views.” Jackieboy Man laughed but stopped when he realised how much it hurt.

“Obviously! It was all thanks to your sick skills and Ethan...”

“Ethan? Was he there?” 

“No but he shared my livestream on that blog of his. As soon as he did, the views just blew up! It was crazy!”

Henrik entered the room with a clipboard, grinning once he noticed Jackieboy Man was okay. “Wunderbar. **(Wonderful)** How are you feeling?”

“Like shit. Imagine a hangover then times the pain by a million.”

“That’s expected but, good news, you don’t have a concussion. You do need to rest a lot though. No fighting villains anytime soon.”

“But-“ Jackieboy Man started but Markiplier cut him off with a bashful smile.

“Don’t worry about being forgotten or whatever. I get it. I won’t let people forget you... somehow. If that means dressing up and pretending to be you I’m out though.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I’m not letting you die, man. You might be my competition but I don’t want you to die.”

“Thank you.”

“He needs rest. Please leave.” Everyone complied and left Jackieboy Man in his own company. Henrik even took one last glance at Jackieboy Man’s notes before leaving too. 

-

When Jackieboy Man woke up, he wasn’t alone. Markiplier was sat beside him, mumbling as if he was talking to himself. He continued to talk, obviously not having noticed Jackieboy Man was awake. “I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you. I know we aren’t best friends or whatever but you’re a cool dude. It’s nothing personal that I’m a douche to you because I’m just shit at talking to people. I’m sorry. I’m too obnoxious to admit that to your face when you’re not sleeping so I just hope you don’t hate me. I’d understand if you did but-“

“I don’t hate you.” Jackieboy Man replied, sitting up. His head wasn’t pounding as much after the rest but it was still hurting. 

“How much of that did you hear?” Markiplier’s eyes were wide and his face had paled a little. It was probably the most vulnerable Jackieboy Man had ever seen him.

“Not much, I swear. Just know, I’m shit at talking to people too.”

“No, you’re not. You’re such a natural and I just... I panic about everything when it comes to talking to people. At least, being a hero, I only need to fight and not talk.”

“That’s okay. You’re only human and you can’t be good at absolutely everything.”

Markiplier sighed, biting his lip and refusing to meet Jackieboy Man’s gaze. He stood up and turned to leave but Jackieboy Man reached out and took his hand. “Nobody’s perfect.”

“You are!” Markiplier blurted out, obviously regretting it as soon as it came out. The hand that wasn’t holding Jackieboy Man’s moved to his face and covered his mouth but he couldn’t take it back.

“I’m not... You’re so much stronger than me and people like you more.”

“At least you can socialise and have loads of friends!” Markiplier groaned and put his head in his hands for a moment. He sat back down but still didn’t meet Jackieboy Man’s eyes. “The reason I’m such a dick to you is because you’re so much better than me!”

“I’m not. You’re so much better than me.”

“I disagree-“

“You are though. Ask anyone!”

“No, _you_ ask anyone.”

“They’ll just say you’re so much-“

“Okay... let’s just recognise that both of us have our flaws.”

“Yeah. I’m in too much pain to argue on this.”

Markiplier let out a tiny laugh, folding his arms and _finally_ looking into Jackieboy Man’s soft eyes. “We complement each other. You’re better at socialising and shit and apparently I’m better at fighting.” Both contemplated the same thing. For a while neither dared to say it aloud out of a fear of rejection. Markiplier was the one who eventually found the courage to voice the thoughts. “Hey, do you... maybe... want to be partners?”

“Sure.” Jackieboy Man grinned, showing off his white teeth. He thrust out a hand and Markiplier shook it. 

“Partners it is.”

“Just as long as you’re the sidekick.”

“No. We just discussed that I’m better at fighting than you. You should be the sidekick!”

“As I said earlier, I’m in too much pain to argue.” Markiplier nodded, smiling softly at the hero before turning and leaving the room. As soon as Jackieboy Man was sure he wouldn’t hear, he mumbled, “He’s the sidekick.”

Little did he know, Markiplier had done the exact same thing when he reached the end of the corridor.

They most definitely did complement each other. If Jackieboy Man was fighting alongside Markiplier, they had twice the power and there was no chance he’d leave a fight forgotten. If one got in trouble, the other person was always there to save the day. They worked together like peanut butter and jelly or... something. They made it clear to their ‘fans’ (they didn’t like the word but didn’t know what else to call them) that neither was the sidekick; they were on the same level. They did enjoy joking and teasing each other about it but it wasn’t out of spite; they both understood that all it was was just a simple joke. Both were heroes and both worked together in perfect harmony.

Of course, Ethan’s blog was striving. As their partnership was announced, the amount of Jackiplier shippers increased substantially. So their partnership worked well for everyone. Especially since Ethan was now friends with both of the heroes and could get front row tickets to moments that were clearly Jackiplier proof. 

Tyler returned to living with his dad and both were extremely happy. Chase, despite having quite a low income, did end up taking Tyler away. They only went to the coast for a weekend but it was the best weekend of both of their lives. Neither wanted to let the other go. They might as well have been joint at the hip.

But they all ended up satisfied. Everything ended up okay. Of course it did because _it always does_.

Eventually a new villain came along, named Dark. He was on a similar level of violence and insanity as Anti but luckily he wasn’t a virus. He was powerful but so were Jackieboy Man and Markiplier. All of the fighting and practicing had paid off as they worked together in perfect synergy to defeat the demon.

No one got kidnapped that time but it still wasn’t easy. Fighting crime was never going to be easy but that was why Jackieboy Man and Markiplier liked it so much. 

Markiplier grinned widely at his partner before zooming to the left. Jackieboy Man returned the expression but, instead, went right to trap Dark between them. Together they circled him and prevented him from fleeing. His aura was red as it erratically danced around him to portray his emotion. Anger. His hands clenched into fists at his sides and he prepared to punch one of the heroes. What happened next was a story for another day.


End file.
